My Winchesters
by DeansLover1918
Summary: Melissa went to college after a bad break up with the infamous Dean Winchester when an unfortunate circumstance pushes them together on a wild ride through the seasons. M for lemons DeanxOC
1. Chapter 1

College. Such a change from hunting. Melissa, or Mel, couldn't wait until her classes started. She was going to school at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and her major was Physical Anthropology. She wanted to help solve real crimes and to help stray the cases away from the supernatural. She did miss hunting occasionally. The only thing she missed 100% of the time was her ex boyfriend, Dean Winchester. He was so furious that she had chosen to go to college after Sammy had. That meant he was alone and he hated that.

She decided then that the relationship wasn't going to work because she needed to do something with her life besides kill demons and burn bones. She was finally proud of herself for getting a full ride and being able to do something she loved but Dean would not let it go. They had their worst fight yet the night she told him. He kicked her out of the motel room and said that the family had no more room for any other traitors. So she waited until morning, went back, packed her stuff, and walked out.

That was six months ago and she still hurt every time she thought about it. He had said awful things to hurt her and they worked. She didn't hate him for it. Hell, she forgave him within a week, but those things he said would never go away. John loved that she was going to college. He said he was really proud of her. He always thought that hunting was for the men and he never wanted to see her hurt so he always pushed her towards college. In some ways she guessed Dean was very jealous that John wanted her out but he wanted his own sons to live and breathe hunting.

Now she stood in front of her first class and took a deep breath before walking in. She didn't need to worry about what Dean thought now. She was living her dream and no one was going to stop her now.

She picked a desk in the middle of class and took out her new laptop. When she opened it, she smiled as a picture of her and Sam Winchester greeted her. She took it when he came back to help her move into her dorm room. Not a minute after that an IM popped up.

SamW: Hey!

She smiled as she typed back.

MelM: Howdy stranger!

SamW: What are you doing?

MelM: Sitting in my first class. You?

SamW: Sitting in my apartment waiting for the time to leave. Miss me yet?

MelM: Everyday and you know it! 

SamW:  I miss you too, munchkin.

MelM:  I hate it when you call me that!

SamW: But I always will so get over it! Haha.

MelM: Well the professor is walking in. I'll try to IM you during class but no promises!

SamW: Ok! Don't stress. Dad is coming to see you soon. Dean called me last night. You changed your number after your fight with Dean and he said that Dad wanted it. Can I give it to him?

MelM: As long as Dean doesn't call me himself. Do not give it to Dean to give it to John. Have John get on the phone to give it to him. TTYL! Bye! Love you!

She closed her laptop as the professor started walking around class making sure everyone had the right textbooks. The rest of the class flew by and she was on her way back to her dorm for something to eat since she had slept in that morning. As she started walking, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

*POV change!!!* (A/N: Sorry. That was just for the beginning. I'll try to keep it to her point of view now.)

"Hello?" I asked as I picked up.

"Hey, Mell-Bell," I heard a deep rough voice with a southern twang and smiled.

"Hey, John."

"How is the whole college thing?" He asked tenderly and I wondered what had gotten into this man.

"It's going awesome. I love it. I'm going to my second class right now. It's my Anthropology class."

"Isn't that what your major is going to be?" He asked as if he was reassuring himself of something.

"Yeah. I get to solve crimes and help hunters if they need anything if a case comes to town."

"I don't want you getting into the actual cases, Mel." He said as his voice became firm.

"I know, John. I won't. I will just be helping them out by telling them what I found and my theories as to what might have done it if it's even supernatural." I explained as I turned down Pat Summit Rd.

"I have someone here who wants to say something to you." He said and my stomach plummeted. I immediately felt the tears well up behind my eyes.

"No, John. Not now. Anyone but him just not him." I pleaded and heard him chuckle.

"I never helped raise you to be scared. Just talk to him. Trust me he won't say anything out of the way." I knew Dean wouldn't because his dad was right there. He would wait and steal my number so the real fight can begin. I know Dean Winchester.

"Hey, Mel." I heard the familiar voice from the other side of the phone and immediately the tears came cascading down my face.

"Hey, Dean." I replied as I wiped furiously at my face.

"Let me get a little ways farther from dad so I can really talk."

"Ok." I prayed that he wouldn't pick a fight. I didn't want to fight with him.

"Ok, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He said after what sounded like a struggle. Apologies were not Dean's thing. He hated what he called "chick-flick moments". And this situation was one of those moments.

"I forgave you already, Winchester. But some of the things you said to me will never be erased." I said feeling my defenses against him going up.

"I know I can't take anything back. Dad said he is going to come see you soon. I don't know if it would be too soon, but I wanted to see you too." He was being very tender which is very unlike Dean. He was only tender towards me though. I guess because we loved each other, or I thought we did, he was being softer with me because he was afraid I would break.

"Maybe. You can come, but I cannot guarantee that I will want to see you. But just on the off chance I will want to, I want you to be with John." I told him knowing I was getting his hopes up and kind of feeling bad for it. I didn't want to hurt him but at the same time I wanted him to know what rejection was like.

I practically heard that sexy smirk he does and I wanted to melt but I wouldn't allow myself to. I told him I would see them both soon and to tell John I loved him. I knew he was disappointed that I didn't say it to him but I was not about to after he did what he did to me.

The rest of my classes flew by that day. All I did afterwards was sit in my room and talk to my roommate. She was awesome and we got along very well. I didn't get along with girls very often but I did now apparently. As we were talking I heard a blood curdling scream from down the hallway.

I immediately ran down the hallway to find a man holding a girl up by her neck.

"Hey!" I screamed and he turned around. I kicked him but it didn't really do anything. He then dropped the girl and came after me. Luckily I had salt in my pocket so I threw it in his eyes to slow him down. When I did that, he disappeared.

"Well, Damn!" I muttered to myself. "I just ran into a goddamn spirit."

The girl walked up to me and thanked me and asked me what happened.

"Well," I started. "That was what is commonly known as a spirit. A ghost basically." I laughed when she looked at me like I was nuts.

"That isn't possible. You're insane!" She started backing up.

"Well how do you explain him disappearing then? They can't go through salt. So if you salt your windows and doors they can't come in unless they were haunting your room in the first place, then they can't leave."

She just looked at me and eventually smiled. "Thank you very much. Did you get rid of it?"

I frowned. "No I didn't. Salt keeps them at bay, it doesn't kill them. Who was that man?" I asked her in case he was haunting her.

"I have no clue." She said just a little too fast. I immediately knew she was lying.

"Ok, then here." I handed her a small bag of salt. "Just remember to salt every way into the room." I then walked away.

I didn't know if the salt would work for her but it was better to try than to just let her get hurt. Then my conscience would never let me sleep or live.

Two nights later I heard her screaming again and I ran back down to the room with more salt. I kicked her door in to find the spirit trying to rape her. I screamed for her to close her eyes and when she did, I threw salt on him again. He disappeared but not before I heard, "I'll get you back, Millie."

"Huh," I said to myself as I helped her up. "You sure you don't know him, _Millie_?" I emphasized her name to let her know I knew she lied to me.

"Ok," She sighed, defeated. "I knew him. He stalked me for awhile until I called the cops. They never found him. I then started carrying a knife. I was walking home from school one day and he came out of nowhere and he tried to pull me into an alley and rape me. I then pulled out my knife and stabbed him. The cops told me it was self defense and as soon as I felt safe here he showed up."

I looked at her and I understood why he was haunting her. "Do you still have the knife?"

She nodded. "It's in my room."

"I need that knife now. You need a new one." I said with a hurried voice.

"Why?"

I never got to answer her because once again Mr. Pissed Off showed up right behind her and I tried to fight him off of her. I kicked him out of the room and then I locked the door. "You need to find that knife before Mr. Pissy gets back in here!" I saw her just standing there and screamed at the top of my lungs. "NOW!!!!" That got her moving because she yanked it from behind a book and handed it to me. I then lit it on fire and held it over a bowl of hers as the knife began to melt.

Until then the spirit had been banging on the door and then it just stopped. I cautiously opened the door and there was nothing but dust out there.

"What happened?" Millie asked from behind me.

"Apparently he exploded judging by the dust." I replied and turned to her. "Well he is gone now. If he shows back up I'm in room 107AB so just come and knock." I smiled and walked back to my room through the crowd of people that had just come out to witness the ghost exploding. I decided to have a little fun. "This, girls, is what happens when you use drugs." I watched some of the girls rush back into their rooms and heard clanging and the trash cans opening and closing.

I laughed as I just changed and went to bed.

October finally rolled around and I was cheering once midterms were over. I was dancing around in my room and singing in low riding sweat pants and a tight tank top when my laptop dinged because I had an IM.

SamW: Hey Mel!

MelM: Hey Sammy!!! 

SamW: SURPRISE!!! I'm outside your dorm and I can't get in without a card! Come get me!

I shrieked happily as I grabbed my keys and ran outside and jumped into his arms as soon as he put his computer down.

"I've missed you!" I said as he spun me around.

"Same here!" I hugged him tighter before he put me on the ground. I squealed even louder as I looked to see who was walking up behind him.

"John!" I smiled as he hugged me tighter than Sammy.

"Hey, baby girl." He muttered. "I heard about that spirit you killed a while back. Good work."

I blushed. "Thanks." I turned around to face Sammy when my eyes saw Him. The last 8 months came flooding back. "Let's go see my room." I muttered and walked right by Dean and led Sammy and John in.

"I've already seen it seeing as how I helped put it together." Sammy flashed me a smile as I saw John shoot him a glare. If looks could kill…

"Well I'm glad you two have gotten close." John said sarcastically as we stopped in front of my door so I could unlock it.

"Not here guys. People will hear!" I said a little too loud.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me, young lady!" John snapped at me. "I raised you different."

"Don't snap at her dad." Sammy said as he saw me tear up.

"This doesn't concern you, Sam! Let dad talk to her without you interrupting." Dean said and I just stared at him.

"Leave. All of you!" I almost yelled as I ran into my room and locked the door to keep them out. I heard talking and then someone asking them to leave. After a while I heard a soft knock and when I looked out the peep hole, Sammy was standing there.

I opened the door to let him in. I sat back in my black chair and tried not to cry. Sammy picked me up, sat down with me on his lap, and I just let the tears fall. My shoulders racked with the sobs I was letting out. I knew Sam had risked a lot by being here with John and his brother. I knew he didn't want to be anywhere near John yet he put on a brave face for me.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." Sam said as he stroked my back.

"No, I am glad you did. I'm just more upset at Dean just letting John yell at me." I said as I wiped my tears away as I calmed down.

"I figured Dean would because he is 'Daddy's Little Soldier'." I laughed as he said this and he smiled.

"There's the laugh I've been waiting for. Let's go get some lunch. Since you are on Fall Break and everything." He said as we stood up and walked out.

I saw Dean lurking in the shadows of one of the dorm buildings and I just glared at him and asked Sam for a piggy back ride. Dean used to give me those but now only Sam was allowed to. He was the best big brother figure ever. As Dean saw this I saw his shoulders sag in defeat and he just stood there watching, as if protective still.

I couldn't eat my lunch. I excused myself telling Sam I had to go to the bathroom and I headed outside when he wasn't looking. I saw Dean leaning on a corner with his head towards the ground. He turned his head away from me as I approached.

I grasped his chin and I had to tug to get him to look at me. When he did, I nearly fell over. Dean Winchester was crying. I immediately felt guilty for ignoring him and hurting him.

I hugged him and he seemed surprised because he tensed. After a few seconds he wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in the crook of my neck. His hold tightened as though he would never let go again.

"I'm so sorry." He kept muttering under his breath as he stroked my hair.

"Where is John?" I asked tentatively.

"He went somewhere to eat to cool off but I couldn't eat. I'm not hungry." Dean replied as I pulled back to look at him.

He looked deep into my eyes and I knew he was assessing the damage he did all those months ago. He brought his hand up and caressed my cheek with his palm and I leaned into his touch. It felt like a lifetime since I had felt it. I reached up and wiped his tears away with my thumbs and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"It's ok, Dean. I forgive you."

That seemed to melt away all his doubts because he hugged me again with such tenderness I wanted to cry. I realized I was as I felt a few tears slip down my cheeks. I had missed him so much. I had always known he never hated me. He was jealous because he knew that he was stuck hunting while Sam and I had chances at normal lives.

I held my breath as I felt Dean kissing my cheeks and neck. They were small butterfly kisses and that changed to tenderness as soon as he reached my lips. They started out light. Then those 8 months of no touching caught up to us and the kisses immediately deepened. I heard a low groan come from him as soon as my tongue stroked against his. Regretfully, I pulled away and I saw his smirk growing to a full blown smile.

"I knew you couldn't resist me, Macon." He said teasingly using my last name.

I rolled my eyes and hit him on his shoulder.

"I should probably get back to Sammy but are you and John staying?" I smiled as he nodded. "I'll see you around, Winchester."

I snuck in through the bathroom window and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and walked out to see Sam standing there with a questioning look on his face.

"What? I said I had to go." He raised his eyebrows at me.

"So that wasn't you I saw making out with Dean then?" He smiled as I blushed and hugged me. "I don't care, Mel, as long as you're happy. If he doesn't make you happy then I'll kick my own brother's ass."

"That's a light threat considering I haven't seen you fight anyone besides ghouls and other things." I laughed as he ruffled my hair.

He walked me back to my building that night and hugged me goodnight. As I walked in, something felt off so I walked hurriedly down to my room. When I walked in I gasped when there were blood drops on the floor. As I looked up I screamed. There was my roommate on the ceiling and bleeding from her abdomen.

All of a sudden Dean slammed through the door and grabbed me as my friend burst into flames and we had to leave before the whole place ignited.

As we went outside I just sat down on the concrete absolutely numb. I couldn't feel anything. I could barely even breathe. I was going into shock and Dean sensed it because he tried to get me to talk then started shaking me.

It wasn't until I saw a body bag being brought down that I started crying. They were hard, painful sobs. I clung to Dean as John walked up and asked if I was ok. I felt Dean shake his head as he kissed my head again and again saying how sorry he was.

That was when John announced that he we needed to get going before questions started arising. Dean said he didn't want to move me yet since I was still sobbing softly. John said he could carry me to the car but that we just needed to leave.

"What about Sam?" I asked in between sobs. "Has his plane already left?"

Dean nodded and John just ignored my question. "Let's go, now." He ordered. I felt Dean pick me up and I was falling asleep as he put me in the car. I stretched out across the back seat with my head in his lap. I felt his fingers comb through my hair and I immediately felt at peace for the time being. My breathing evened out and he must have thought I was asleep because I heard him say something.

"I swear nothing will happen to her, Dad. Nothing can happen to her."

"I know, son. Right now, though we need to get her the hell out of dodge." He stepped on the accelerator and I was out like a light.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A few years later, Dean and I were on our way back from a hunt in New Orleans to meet John to see if his was successful also.

I called John to tell him we were on the way to meet at the hotel designated before we all left. I just got his voicemail. It wouldn't even ring. I looked at my phone with worry and Dean furrowed his brows.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"John isn't answering. I won't even ring." I said as I had a confused look on my face.

"He probably turned it off. He may not be done with his hunt." I knew Dean was just trying to reassure me and him both. We both had bad feelings in the pit of our stomachs. "Damn it. I left my phone in the trunk. He may have called and I didn't answer!" He slammed on the breaks and pulled over.

"Damn, Dean, calm down. Don't give yourself and me whiplash now." I said teasing him but got a death glare in response. He does this and wonders why we weren't back together. I may have kissed him that day but since then, nothing had happened. I wasn't ready to put myself out there like last time. I just didn't have enough heart left to be broken again.

I heard the trunk shut and then he was back in the front driver's seat. He was listening to something and he looked panicked.

"I need you to listen to this. And listen very carefully." He said and I knew it was important.

I couldn't understand anything. "There is too much interference. I can't understand him."

Dean nodded. "This only means one thing…" I didn't like where this was going. "Dad's missing and we need help."

Shit, this meant bothering Sammy.

As we pulled up to the college I told Dean we should just knock on the door. He insisted we climb up the drain pipe. I refused and he said I could stay at the car then. I told him I would and then I would laugh when his ass fell down.

A few seconds as he started up, I started feeling freaked because I had to stand here in the dark. I learned to be afraid of the dark when I was alone in it. So, I started climbing up behind Dean but he had a substantial head start on me.

When I got through the window, I heard fighting and knew that Dean had alerted Sam and he thought Dean was a burglar. I walked up and before I could even break them up Sam recognized Dean. He then looked up at me and smiled.

"Hey, munchkin." I heard him say as he enveloped me in a hug.

I rolled my eyes as I heard Dean clear his throat. "Last time I checked, Winchester, I am not yours so you can't get jealous even though Sammy here is just a big brother to me." I snapped and turned to see a woman behind Sam in pajamas. My heart dropped. Sam had always said I was his favorite girl. I guess when I left with Dean I wasn't the favorite anymore. I smiled and walked right past her out the door. I didn't give a shit who she is, I just wanted my brother back.

Sure he wasn't my blood brother but ever since John had picked me off the side of the road all those years ago and saved me from being a homeless child on the streets, he was as good as a blood brother. He was always the one looking after me.

I heard the men approaching as I sat stewing on the trunk of the car.

"You ok, munchkin?" He asked and I just rolled my eyes.

"My name is Mel, Sam. It's about time you learned it." I got up and got back in the car. I heard them talking and Dean telling Sam maybe I was just PMSing. "No I'm not, Dean!" I yelled back and I heard chuckling from the boys.

Dean opened the door as Sam went back inside. "By the way, he is trying to get into law school. You should be happy for him not pissed off."

"Like you want him to go so don't patronize me." I retorted. "He said I would always be his favorite." I said out loud as I felt unwanted tears well up in my eyes. I heard Dean sigh and sit in the back seat beside me.

"He always will too, Mel, he just has another one. I'm sure you will always be the favorite." He rubbed my arms.

"Dude, what's with the chick-flick moments?" I asked and I felt him shudder at the mention of those words.

"I have no damn clue but they need to stop." He said and I laughed. I knew I was becoming more at ease with him, but I still had a steel wall up around my heart, or what was left of it.

"Sam is coming back." I said as I glanced out the back window. I got out and walked up to him.

"Are you still mad at me?" Sam asked as he put his duffle in the back seat.

"Just answer me one question," I said as he raised an eyebrow. "Am I still your favorite girl?"

He laughed at me. That bastard laughed at me. "Is that what this is about? I told you that when we were 12, Mel."

I frowned and stomped away and heard him chasing after me.

"Come on, Mel. You will always be my favorite, I just have another one now. A different kind of girl. One that I love." He hugged me and I let him.

I pretended I wasn't hurt because it was only a matter of time before she replaced me totally in his heart. I smiled but internally groaned as I saw her running out of the complex. She frowned at me because I was hugging me but handed him brownies and cookies.

I rolled my eyes and got in the car as she kissed him goodbye. Well she more like sucked his face off. God I already hated her. At least I had both of my Winchesters with me but still missing one. I allowed myself to drift off to sleep as I saw Dean glance at me through the rear view mirror and I swore I saw love in his eyes. I won't fall for it this time.

When I woke up, they were talking about the case we were pursuing.

"What are we chasing?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

"Hey, sleepy head." Dean said as he handed me papers. They were profiles of men that had gone missing. "All these men disappeared off the same stretch of road in the city we are coming up to."

"Are we thinking spirit?" I honestly didn't know what it could be. If it was men I had an idea, but without concrete proof the boys would laugh at me and I didn't want that. I hated it when they underestimated me.

We stopped at a gas station to get something to eat and I got clothes out to change into. These were new clothes I had picked up before we picked up Sam. As Dean went to pay for gas and grab candy bars and soda, I slipped into the bathroom with my bag in hand. He didn't know I had gotten these either.

I waited until I heard Dean go back to the car before taking one last look at myself. I had brushed my hair until it was silky soft and hung to my mid-back in waves. I had touched up my makeup with some powder, black eyeliner, and light purple shadow with a light pink lip gloss. I had changed into a tight black tank top with a white skull stretching across the breast of my shirt. My pants were black patent leather and hugged my ass and hips. I had on leather boots with 3 inch heels on and I looked good.

I took a deep breath and headed out of the bathroom when I heard a horn honk. The cashier looked ready to have a heart attack when I walked past him. Dean stopped mid-sentence when he saw me. I saw his eyes rake over my body and outfit and I saw the familiar look of pure lust in his eyes.

Sam looked back and did a double take. I had lost plenty of weight but had toned and muscled up some too since I had last seen him. I had close to a 6pack and every other part of me was toned to an art.

"Wow, Mel, that looks… nice." I smiled as Sam stumbled over his words. I looked at Dean and he was still blatantly staring. I flipped my hair over my shoulder flashing a bit of neck at him and I saw him physically tense. I flashed him a sly smile and his smirk seemed tight and controlled. I slipped into the back seat and Sam looked at me while Dean didn't move.

"You know, teasing your boyfriend like that will bite you in the ass later." He said.

"He isn't my boyfriend." I said and I saw Sam's look of confusion. "I did kiss him that day, yes, but since then I have been guarded. He won't hurt me again, Sam."

Sam shook his head. "Just admit it. You still want him and it's blatantly obvious he still wants you."

I said no but I knew that my steel walls against my heart would give and they would give soon.

I buried those feelings as Dean got into the car and sent the most heated and lustful look I had ever seen towards me through his rear view mirror.

He threw a big bag of chips, a Crunch© bar, and a Wild Cherry Pepsi back to me and I chowed down.

Sam was now going through his tapes and sighed. "Dude, you need to update your cassette tape collection."

Dean scowled. "Why?"

"Well, first, their cassette tapes. Second, these are the greatest hits of mullet rock."

I laughed and Dean scowled back at me telling me to shut it. I did but giggled under my breath.

"House rules, Sammy." I rolled my eyes because I knew what he was about to say. "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole."

He then blasted "Back in Black" by AC/DC and I laughed as he eyed Sammy to see his reaction.

"You know, Sammy is 12 year old name. It's Sam now." Sam told him over the music.

"Sorry, can't hear you. The music is too loud." Dean said as he put the car into gear.

Sam called the local hospital and morgue checking for a description of John and seeing if something happened to him. I saw we were 7 miles from Jericho and cheered to myself. I was so tired of this damn car at this point.

"Ok, so there is no one matching dad at the hospital or morgue, so that's something, I guess." He said as he hung up his phone and I rolled my eyes. Of course he wasn't there. He was John Winchester. He was invincible in my eyes. He always had been.

I saw a bridge ahead of us and there were tons of cops around the entrance and around an abandoned car.

"Hey, check it out." Dean said as we approached them and stopped. I reached down into my duffle and got out a white ruffled blouse so as to look more professional as Dean looked for three fake ID's. He still had all of Sam's. He never got rid of them in case Sam came back.

I changed in record time and Dean whistled his approval as I combed my fingers through my hair.

We got out of the car and approached the cops.

"Did you guys find anything?" One of the officers yelled over the bridge.

"No, nothing!" The guy down below yelled back.

The police man searching the car seemed frustrated. "No sign of struggle, no footprints, no fingerprints. It's almost too clean."

"So this guy, Troy, was dating your daughter wasn't he?" Another officer asked the searching officer.

"Yeah" He replied.

"How is Amy?"

"She is putting up posters down town." The searching cop sighed and hung his head.

"You fella's had another one just like this last month didn't you?" Dean piped up and all the cops in the immediate vicinity looked up at us.

"Who are you?" An officer asked.

We all flipped open our ID's and showed them. "US Marshals." Dean said as he closed his.

"You all are awfully young for Marshals." The cop observed.

"Aw, thank you! I like him!" I said out loud and the cop smiled at me since I looked better dressed than the other two.

"That's awfully kind of you. You did have another one just like this one correct?" Dean said

"Yeah about a mile up the road." The cop pointed out the direction. "Had a few others before that too."

"So you knew the victim?" Sam asked as they didn't move from their spots.

"In a town like this, everybody knows everybody." The cop answered.

Dean and I started circling the car. "Are there any connections between the victims besides that they were all men?" I asked as I saw the car was spotless. This was not a good sign.

"Not as far as we can tell." The officer replied and I knew Dean wasn't happy because now we were starting from scratch.

Sam came over to us slowly. "What's the theory?"

"Honestly? We don't know. Maybe serial killer or a kidnapping ring?" The officer said and I heard Dean's sigh of frustration.

"Well that is exactly the kind of crack police work that I'd expect out of you guys." Dean retorted angrily.

Sam and I stomped on each of Dean's feet and I smiled as I heard him grunt in pain.

"Thanks for your time." I said and walked away.

"Gentlemen." Sam said politely as we both dragged Dean away. Dean then proceeded to slap Sam in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Sam said as Dean turned and slapped my ass as hard as he could making me hiss in pain but I liked this side of Dean Winchester.

"Why'd you guys have to step on my feet?" He demanded.

"Why do you have to talk to police like that?" I demanded back as his eyes met mine.

"Come on, guys. They don't really know what's going on. I mean, if we're gonna find dad, we've got to get to the bottom of this thing ourselves." He said and Sam and I both cleared our throats.

Dean turned around to see the sheriff and two of his investigators flanking his sided. "Can I help you three with something?" He asked. I could tell he was suspicious.

Dean swallowed nervously. "No, sir, we were just leaving." We walked by his investigators and Dean acknowledged them. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully." I laughed and noticed the sheriff watching us leave. That man gave me the creeps.

We then went to talk to Amy and she had a friend with her. Her friend told us of a local legend of a hitchhiking woman who was murdered on the bridge a couple decades ago. I knew what time it was then, library time.

As we sat in the library, me and Sam on the outside with Dean in the middle, Dean began looking up the legend. I lightly ran my hand up and down his thigh and heard his sharp intake of breath and I smiled.

We couldn't seem to find anything having to do with murder on the Centennial Bridge.

"Let me try." Sam said as he reached for the computer.

Dean smacked Sam's hand away. "I got it." Sam then proceeded to push Dean's chair out of the way. "Dude, you're such a control freak."

I laughed. "That's the pot calling the kettle black." I said and earned a glare from Dean. As punishment, I squeezed his thigh gently but this was his upper inner thigh. I heard him curse under his breath and knew he was having issues.

"Spirits are born out of angry deaths right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean and I said at the same time.

"So what if it's not murder?" He asked as he typed in "Female Suicide Centennial Highway". It came up with a match and I wanted to throw my fist up in triumph but now was not the time.

So it turned out that Constance Welch, the woman's name that committed suicide on the bridge, found her children dead in the bathtub and took the swan dive. We looked at a picture of the site and saw the bridge we were just on.

So now we were at the bridge again and we were looking over the railing.

"So this is where Constance took the swan dive?" Dean asked as he walked towards me.

"So, you think dad could have been here?" Sam asked as he too looked over then at Dean.

"Well, he's chasing the same story and we are chasing him." Dean said with a smart ass attitude laced in there.

"So now what?" I asked.

"Now we keep digging until we find him. It may take awhile." He said matter-of-factly.

"Dean, I've told you. I have to be back by—" Sam said as he faced him.

"Monday, right, the interview." Dean said and I knew a fight was coming.

"Yeah." Sam said sensing it as well.

"Right, I forgot. So you're really serious about this aren't you? You think you're just gonna become some lawyer? Marry your girl?"

"Dean! Stop it!" I said as I hit him on the arm.

"Maybe. Why not?" Sam asked and I wished he hadn't.

"Does Jessica know about you?" He said and my head flipped up at the name. That was the name of my now dead roommate. Dean looked at me apologetically. "Does she know about the things you've done?"

"No and she will never know." Sam said adamantly.

"Well that's healthy." Dean said and I hit him again a little harder. He absent mindedly rubbed his arm. "You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are." Shit, I saw the fists flying and they hadn't even moved towards each other.

"And who is that?" Sammy asked as he followed Dean down the bridge.

"One of us!" He pointed at me. "Mel realized it."

"Don't you bring me into this you prick!" I practically shrieked pissed off that he would use me against Sam knowing Sam favored me over him.

"No, I'm not like you." Sam looked at me apologetically and I nodded understanding where he was coming from. "This is not going to be my life." I smiled knowing that was his answer all along.

"Well, you've got a responsibility." Dean snapped and I swear I didn't know how Sammy agreed to come with us on this trip.

"Dean would you just leave it alone? He is not going to do this!"

"Would you shut up!" He yelled at me and I backed away from him. He looked like he immediately regretted it. I went to stand by Sammy who put his arm around me.

"To what? To dad and his crusade? If it weren't for pictures, I wouldn't even know what mom looked like. What difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, she's gone, and she isn't coming back."

Dean launched himself at Sam and slammed him against the bridge.

"Dean! Let him go, now!" I pulled on his arms but he pushed me off. When I tried again he literally shoved me and I fell. My back screamed in pain as it collided hard with the metal of his precious car.

Sam tried to get to me but Dean, unaware of my fall, held him tight. "Don't talk about her like that."

"Um… guys?" I said as I struggled up. They both turned and we all saw Constance standing there in a white dress on the edge of the railing. We all ran for you as she jumped but when we got there, she had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Dean asked as I sat down against the bridge to try to ease the pain in my back.

Dean leaned down too. "Are you ok?"

"No, I'm not, Dean. You slammed me against your damn car!" I snapped back as his car sprang to life.

"Dean, who's driving your car?" Sam asked. Color me thoroughly freaked out.

Dean put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his keys and shook them for us to see. My fear notch went up as I struggled to stand up.

The car then put itself into gear and came barreling toward us and I could not stand up.

"Mel!" Dean yelled as he yanked me up. I know he wasn't trying to hurt me this time but damn that hurt! "Go! Go!" Dean kept yelling as I kept up with him.

His car was catching up and we had no other choice but to jump over the bridge. I felt Dean hug me closer as we hit the water and I felt water fill my lungs from the current. Dean tried pulling me out but the current kept pulling me under. I never remembered reaching the shore because everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Damn it, Mel, wake up!" I heard Dean's frantic voice reach my ears. I felt a hand caressing my face. I opened my eyes and I saw Dean's light up with happiness. "Oh my god, are you ok?"

I nodded and sat up. I started coughing and the water in my lungs was expelled as Dean hit my back gently. He stopped when I cried out from the pain of hitting his car earlier. Then the anger came rushing back and I pushed him away from me.

"Don't touch me." I was pissed off and didn't want to be bothered.

"Mel…" He started but I held my hand up and struggled to my feet on my own. He hung his head in defeat.

I limped back up to the bridge where Sam was waiting and he hugged me then quickly let go of me.

"God, you stink." He said and when I hit his arm he laughed. He looked at me when I winced from climbing the hill with my bruised back.

Dean finally made it up the hill back to the bridge and he started walking around the car.

"Is the car ok?" Sam asked as I stood off to the side and leaned against the bridge.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, whatever she did to it, it seems alright now. That Constance chick—what a bitch!" He shouted to no one in particular. I went to stand next to Sammy and Dean looked at me with remorse in his face. I almost melted but I was determined to stay mad at him now.

"Yeah she didn't want us digging around that's for sure." Sam said as he leaned over and sniffed Dean. "Where do we go from here genius?"

Dean shrugged and looked at both of us.

"You smell like a toilet." I said beating Sam to the punch.

"You smell worse, Mel." He said as he smiled. We all went to pile into the Impala when Dean gently touched my arm to stop me.

"How is your back?" He seemed generally concerned and it touched me.

"It hurts like a bitch." I answered.

"Mel, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just so mad at Sam. I wasn't paying attention." He confessed when he was sure Sammy wasn't listening.

I leaned into his side and hugged him as hard as I could without crippling myself. "It's ok, big guy. Just know that if you ever do that again, I will kill you with my bare hands in your sleep." I laughed as he pretended to be terrified.

I just sat in the car as the boys went to get our room. I didn't want to be seen as disgusting as I was. As I sat in the front seat listening to my Ipod, I saw them approach a room with caution and try to pick the lock. I got out and approached them.

"Hey, boys, what are you doing?" I asked as I saw Dean about jump out of his skin.

"God, Mel. Don't ever scare me like that again." He said and I laughed as he opened the door.

"Woah," I said as we entered the room. It was a total pigsty! The bed was unmade, salt was everywhere, and newspaper clippings covered the walls. It was so disgusting because I saw half eaten, rotting food on the tables too.

Dean sniffed the hamburger and gagged. "I don't think he has been here for a couple days at least." He said and I nodded as we looked to Sam.

"Look at all the salt." I said as I looked at the ring.

"Not to mention the cat's eye shells." Sam said as a response to my comment. "He was worried and trying to keep something from coming in."

"Dean, what are you looking at?" I asked as I saw him looking at the victims and newspaper clippings.

"These are the Centennial Highway victims. I don't get it. I mean, different men, different jobs, ages, ethnicities. There is always a connection, right? What do these guys have in common?" He asked as he watched Sam cross to the other side of the room.

Sam huffed as he looked at a clipping. "Dad figured it out."

"What?" I asked him as I crossed to him.

"He found the same article we did. Constance Welch is a woman in white." He said as realization struck Dean. I, however, was totally lost.

"You sly dogs." Dean said as I looked between the brothers.

"What is a woman in white?" I asked as Dean made his way to Sam.

"So if we are dealing with a woman in white, then dad would have found the corpse and burned her." Dean said again.

"Oh, are they a kind of spirit?" I asked as I put it together.

Sam nodded. "Basically except she kills cheating men."

"Ouch, they deserve it though." I said as both brothers looked at me. "What? It's true. If a man feels like he has to cheat on his significant other, then maybe he deserves to be punished."

"Anyway," Sam said as he laughed at Dean's stricken face. "She may have another weakness."

"No, Dad would have made sure." Dean protested. "He'd dig her up. Does it say where she is buried?"

Sam shook his head. "No, not that I can tell. If I were dad, though, I would ask the husband. Well I would if he is still alive."

I nodded my head. "While you ladies argue over how to take care of her, I'm going to take a shower because I am tired of smelling like a toilet." I said as I headed for the shower.

I sighed as the hot water hit the sore muscles of my back. It felt like heaven. I then proceeded to look at the rest of my body to make sure there were no scratches. I looked down and saw a couple scratches on my stomach from the rocks in the water. I couldn't see my back but I saw the edge of a bruise on the edge of my ribcage. I winced as I poked it gently. I heard a gasp and I turned around to find Dean behind me looking at the bruise on my back.

He slowly stepped in and I slowly turned to fully face him and my eyes glazed over as I saw him step into the spray of the water. He gently put his arms around me and held me to him.

"I'm so sorry, Mel." I heard his voice break and I immediately wanted to cry.

"Dean, it's fine, really it is." I replied as my arms around him too.

"No, it's not." He said. As I tried to argue, he put a finger to my mouth and continued. "Mel, you deserve better than that from me. I know I'm as far from perfect that anyone can get but I can promise you that you will never find anyone who loves you more than me." My breathing literally stopped as he still continued. "I know I'm an ass but please, Mel…give me another chance."

I felt the tears run over my eyelids as I nodded and kissed him with more passion than I have ever known. That shower quickly became the best one of my life so far.

As we walked out, Sammy was on his phone checking his voicemails.

"I saw a diner on the way in; do you want anything?" Dean asked and both Sam and I shook our heads. "Aframian's buying!" He said as he chuckled and left.

I watched Sam as he smiled when he heard Jess's voice on his voicemail. I went to see if we had any IcyHot or BioFreeze.

"What?" I heard Sam say and I turned to see him still on the phone. "What about you?" I knew he was talking about Dean and the frown on his face said it wasn't a good conversation. "Right." He hung up his phone then looked at me. "We gotta go, now."

I quickly grabbed our bags as we made our way to the bathroom. Sam went through first so he could help me through knowing I would need help with my back.

Just as I was halfway through the cramped space I felt hands on my ankles. I cried out and Sam pulled harder. I felt the hands tighten their grip as they yanked. I cried out in pain as my back hit the window sill when they yanked. I looked up at Sammy.

"Sammy, go. Just get out of here." I saw him shake his head. "They have nothing on me, I don't think. Just go and I'll catch up to you." With that said, I let go of his hand and I slunk my way back through the window very carefully only to be yanked and slammed against a wall.

I saw the pain in Dean's eyes as he watched me struggle to walk out of the room. At one point, my legs gave out and they almost dislocated my shoulder as they yanked me back up and I yelled in pain. He saw the tears in my eyes and on my cheeks and sent a look of pure hatred towards the cops holding me. I smiled weakly at him as they put me in another car.

They put me in a different room than Dean and an overweight cop with dark sunglasses walked in and sat down across from me. I rolled my eyes at his intimidation tactics. He looked me up and down and I wanted to gag.

"Are you gonna question me anytime soon or do I need to file a complaint for sexual harassment?" I said to him which only pissed him off.

He looked at me, took off his sunglasses, and smiled. "Girly, I don't believe you know who you are talking to. I'm the sheriff's brother." He said.

"Oh no!" I faked being scared. "Is it possible there is a bigger dick head than you? Say it ain't so!" I chuckled at his face when it drained of color to be replaced by the red of his anger.

"Shut your mouth before I…" He said but he caught himself. "You won't get to me, little girl." He said as he roughly pushed my chair in making it hit my back. He seemed pretty proud of himself when I cried out in pain.

"What the hell are you doing to her?!" I heard Dean yell from somewhere in the same building.

I just sat there holding back the tears when he started questioning me. I said I had nothing to do with those murders because I was four when they started. They had nothing on me and I wasn't talking to them. He went to push my chair again when another officer opened the door saying something about gun shots fired and the officer left as quick as he could.

I finally let the tears fall as I felt the pain rip through my back every time I moved. I looked up when I heard the door open and relaxed when I saw Dean standing there. He looked murderous when he saw the tears on my face.

"Mel, are you ok?" He said as he picked the locks on my handcuffs with a paperclip.

"I'm fine. He just figured out my back was a weakness." I said ashamed of myself. Weaknesses were unacceptable. I can only imagine what John would say.

"It's ok. It's my fault for that anyway. Look what the cops had." He said as he held up John's journal.

"Oh my god, John never leaves that thing anywhere!" I gasped as I felt Dean help me up.

"I know. Come on, we have to call Sammy." He said as we raced as fast as we could out of there.

He lets me sit down beside the pay phone as he calls Sammy. "Fake 911 phone call? Isn't that a little illegal, Sammy?" He laughed and nodded to me. "She is fine. I should kill the cop that was in charge of her though. Yes they did. Listen we gotta talk… Sammy would you shut up for a second?" I chuckled because I knew how much Sammy didn't expect that one. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. He's gone. Dad left Jericho." I opened my eyes and looked at Dean who just stared at the journal. "I've got his journal. Well he did this time… Same ex-marine crap when he wants to tell us where he is headed. I don't know. Sam? Sam!!" He looked at me and helped me up. "We gotta go now!" I followed behind him quickly as he started sprinting across the bridge.

We arrived just as we heard Sam screaming and Dean raised his gun. He shot the ghost and she disappeared. I then shouted for Sammy when he put the car into gear and drove right into the house.

"Sammy! Sam!" Both Dean and I shouted as we ran into the house. We pulled him out of the car only to look up and see Constance throw a bureau against the boys. She looked at me and threw me across the room. I hated being the beat up one. Why was it always me?

The lights started flickering and as I looked up the stairs, there were children at the top.

"You've come home to us, mommy." They said as they rushed to her and she let out a deafening scream as they pulled her down into a dark puddle on the floor.

Dean helped me up after they pushed the dresser off of themselves and we all walked over to the puddle.

"So this is where she drowned her kids?" I asked as I leaned into Dean. I smiled when he placed a small kiss on my head.

"That's why she could never go home. She couldn't face them." Sam said as he looked at us weird.

"You found her weak spot. Good job, Sammy!" Dean said as I laughed.

"I wish I could say the same for you. What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face?" Sammy said and I literally busted out laughing and almost fell I doubled over so far.

"Hey, it saved your ass." He said as he inspected his car. "I'm gonna tell you something if you hurt my car, I'll kill you!" I rolled my eyes as we all piled in the tight space.

As we were driving, Sam was looking for the coordinates. "Alright here is where Dad went. Blackwater Ridge, Colorado."

Dean nodded. "How far?"

Sam shrugged. "About 600 miles."

Dean smiled. "If we shag ass, we can make it their by morning."

"Dean…" I said knowing Sam's answer.

"Dean, um…" Sam started.

"You're not going." Dean stated.

"The interview is in 10 hours. I have to be there." Sam said and looked at me too.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I'll take you home." The rest of the car ride was silent.

As we pulled up outside his building, Sammy looked at me and got out. I got out also and we hugged.

"Please be careful, Sammy." I pleaded with him.

"Hey, I'll be fine. You know me, Mel." Sam said and I nodded. I turned around and got into the front passenger seat with Dean.

Sam looked into the open window. "You'll call me when you find him?" Dean nodded. "Maybe I could meet up with you later, huh?" He asked and I smiled.

"Yeah, alright." Dean said. "Sam, you know we made one hell of a team back there." I knew Dean was just trying to get him to stay. I also knew Sammy would not stay. He had made a life now. No matter how much either of us hated it, we could not get in the way of that.

As we drove away something with me did not feel right. "Dean turn around."

"Why?" He demanded.

"Please. Something doesn't feel right. Just please turn around." I pleaded and he turned around in time to see flames from Sam's apartment.

"Sam!" I screamed as Dean got out of the car telling me to stay put. I normally would have followed him but my back would not allow that.

I sat worrying my ass off until I saw both boys run out. I did not see Jessica so I assumed she got out another way.

"Hey!" I shouted and stopped when I saw Sam's face. "Where is Jessica?"

He looked at the ground. "She didn't make it." I felt my heart immediately break for him. I knew he loved her very much.

"I'm so so…" I didn't even get to finish before he walked away from me shaking his head. I looked at Dean who also shook his head telling me silently not to say anything else.

We walked over to the trunk where he was and saw him cocking a loaded rifle to disarm it and then dropped it back into the trunk.

"We have work to do." He said.

I shook my head wondering where Sammy's grief would take us.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up in agony. The pain ripped through my back like a hot knife through butter. I was lying on my stomach when I came too and noticed that I wasn't in the hotel room. I was in a house that looked very familiar.

I tried to remember what happened but it refused to come to me. I just remember the word Wendigo and then my mind goes blank. Just then a man came walking through the door and I smiled as I recognized Bobby Singer.

"Bobby!" I said and then winced when I tried to move.

"Hey there, Mel, don't pull your stitches." He said and we both laughed. He handed me a mug.

"I know how much you love tomato soup and since you can't eat it like us normal human beings, I thought you would be able to eat it out of this." I smiled at him and took a grateful sip and loved how the warm liquid of tomato soup poured down my throat like a waterfall of ecstasy.

"What happened to me, Bobby?" I immediately regretted the question because his face became so pained and he forced a smile.

"You were hunting with Dean and Sam. Don't you remember?" He prodded wanting me to recover any memory because a hunter with amnesia was a danger to all.

I searched and racked my brain until something snapped and scenes flashed before my eyes. Dean and I had a fight because he was checking the girl out that we were supposed to be helping and I stormed out into the forest to kill that damn Wendigo on my own. It found me first and when I tried to fight it, I felt claws rake down my back and I screamed in agony.

"Where is he, Bobby?" I asked panicked. "Where is Dean?"

Bobby looked down at the ground. "He said he would be back in a few days…" I sighed with relief until Bobby continued, "That was two weeks ago. You got an infection and were fighting for your life and Dean couldn't stand to see you like that. So him and Sam took off to hunt and haven't been back yet."

I felt a knife in my heart just stab right through. I couldn't breathe. Dean had abandoned me. Then the knife began to heat up and I started seeing red. That man would pay for this!

"Bobby, when can I get out of bed?" I asked.

Bobby shook his head. "Why are you so eager to hunt?"

"Because it's in my blood." I replied.

"Give it another week and we will see how the pain is and then we will get you walking. After your stitches are out then we can see if you are ready to hunt." Bobby said.

I nodded. "When will these come out?" I asked.

"Maybe two more weeks." Bobby said and I nodded again. I just needed two more weeks and I would never have to think about Dean again.

Those were the fastest two weeks of my life. I was finally up and running around as if nothing had happened to me at all. Every now and then I got a twinge of pain if I moved wrong, but I was finally going out on my own to hunt. I walked out and smiled at Bobby. Out in the back was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. It was an old school Camaro SS that was black with red racing stripes down the middle of the body. I squealed and jumped into Bobby's arm. "Thank you, Bobby!"

He laughed and hugged me back. "You needed something that suited you and I know a guy who can't drive because of a hunting injury and when I showed him your picture, you got it for free." I laughed.

"Then I know I have a good impression on the pervs out there." He laughed as I got in and started it. I closed my eyes with happiness as the engine roared to life and just purred. I was happy and Bobby knew it because he made a comment about me being like Dean and immediately apologized. I smiled and told him it was alright. I pulled out of the driveway and pulled away and saw in my rear view mirror, a black Impala pulling in and punched the accelerator and shifted gears.

I searched for a couple days for a hunt and finally found demon omens. The only problem was it was back in Knoxville, Tennessee where I went to school and my roommate… Anyway, I had to go but I didn't want to.

As I pulled into a parking garage at Neyland Stadium, and got out. On the way to the library to meet with my witness to the demon, I heard someone call my name as if they were unsure if it was me. I turned around to see my freshman English teacher walking over to me.

"Long time, no see, Professor." I said as he smiled.

"I haven't seen you here since your… never mind." He said knowing about what happened to my friend Jessica. "How have you been? Have you done well in school?"

I shook my head. "I went into the family business. I never went back to school."

"What is the family business?" He asked purely curious and not at all disappointed in me like I thought he would be.

"We are mechanics." He smiled as he looked at the car behind me.

"Are you a particular fan to older cars?" He asked and I smiled.

"I love them because I grew up with them." I replied and saw a flicker of movement behind him and saw a car flying at us. I pulled him to the ground and pulled out my gun loaded with holy water soaked bullets and started shooting at the figure moving towards us.

"What the hell…?" My old professor asked as the man just dodged my bullets and grabbed me by my throat and threw me across the garage and I felt a stinging pain that quickly went numb. I heard someone shout and then a scream. All of a sudden, Dean was in my vision.

I felt a liquid in my throat and leak out my mouth and Dean was holding back tears. I looked down and saw a construction iron rod sticking through my chest. I also saw it was through my heart and I wasn't going to survive. I started crying and Dean wiped away the tears hurriedly.

"You… left me." I choked out as darkness threatened to take me but I fought it.

"I'm so sorry, Mel. I thought it was best but I was wrong. I should have never left you alone." Dean said through his own tears. I saw Sammy walk up behind Dean and tears were pouring down his face too.

"Mel, you can fight it. You can't leave us…" Dean continued. "You can't leave me…" He said even lower.

I reached up and caressed his cheek. "Dean, I'll never leave you. I'll always be here whether you can see me or not, I'm always right here." I said as I laid my hand over his heart which caused him to sob.

"I love you, Mel. More than life I love you. You can't leave me alone. I can't go on without you." Dean pleaded but knew it was inevitable.

I struggled through my last words as I felt the darkness winning finally. "Dean… never forget… me. I… love…you…" and then the darkness took me.

All of a sudden I felt heat and fire. I opened my eyes to be in the middle of a fiery room and in the center stood a figure.

"Welcome to Hell." The figure said. "I'm Lucifer and I have been waiting for you for awhile, Melissa."

I felt my heart drop as his laugh shook me to my core.


	5. Author's note

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I promise that Mel isn't forgotten. I have a plan for this so just bear with me! She will be back and she will be back with a vengeance! Don't lose faith in me yet. I am putting a twist in the story. Just trust me! I love all my readers.

And PS: If people are reading and adding me to certain lists, you can spare a review! Please review because they are my only way to know if you all like it or just give suggestions! If I don't get many more reviews, I'll make updating take longer and longer until I am getting the reviews I need.

Love You All!


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was hot. It had been hot for over 400 years now. Melissa sighed to herself as a new person was strung up on the rack next to her and she ignored their screams like she had learned to over the years. She even taught herself not to scream. The only demon that could still make her scream was Alistair. He was a doozy too. How was she ever going to get out of here?

She had been beaten, raped, and torn apart day after day. She didn't know how but somehow she had retained her humanity and it pissed Alistair off to no end. He wanted her to step off the rack and start ripping into people, but she wouldn't do it. She knew how disappointed Dean would be.

Dean…

God, how she missed that man! She felt the tears gather in her eyes but evaporated before they could hit her cheeks. That man was the love of her life and she had gotten herself killed because she let her guard down. She didn't know how but she ended up here. She suspected Lucifer had something to do with it since she landed right in front of his cage.

Thoughts of Dean swirled in her mind as a shadow cast over her. She heard Alistair's harsh breathing before she looked up and saw a special glint in his eye. This meant bad things for her and she mentally prepared herself for the beating she was about to get.

"What's the matter?" She asked him. "Couldn't get it off with anyone else?"

He slapped her so hard that her head spun around and hit the rack. She felt blood leaking out of her now split lip. He just chuckled as he unchained her.

She looked up at him confused. Why was he doing this? She got her answer as demons rushed forward to detain her and chained her up in the middle of the room. She was gonna be a show now? This is just handy dandy! If only Dean could see her being the star of the show. She let the pain of seeing the fear and pain on his face run through her as she prepared herself for a really bad day.

"Now, kitten, if you behave I'll stop the beatings for a day or two." Alistair laughed and she knew he was lying. They would never stop. She would eventually get tired of being beaten but as long as she remembered Dean she remained strong. "You have an audience so you be sure to scream nice and loud for me." He said as she looked up to see who her audience was.

"Dean…" She said with horror as she looked into the pained expression of her ex lover. She saw his eyes widen with recognition then with horror as he saw what Alistair planned to do.

"If you won't get off the rack, maybe Dean will." Alistair said. "I have been trying for forty years now with no luck. Maybe you will be the deciding factor."

She saw Dean struggling on the rack as she felt the knife slice into her arm. She saw the pure rage as she hissed in pain but refused to scream. This only angered Alistair so he made a deeper slice on her abdomen. This earned him a scream and he smiled and looked to Dean.

"This can stop Dean as soon as you step off of that rack. She will be left alone." He took a dropper and slowly put small drops of acid in random spots on her skin. She screamed in pure agony as she felt it eating at her flesh. She then heard moving glass and knew he had grabbed the whips. She heard the whistle and then felt the sting as the whip hit her full force on her back. It had broken glass shards on the ends of the leather and hurt like a bitch and took forever to heal.

Tears were shed but it was so hot, they evaporated before they could reach her cheeks. She looked to Dean who had blood running down his arms from struggling against the chains. She screamed again as the whip once again found its mark.

This went on for hours but to her and Dean, it felt like an eternity. Finally the beating stopped when she heard the one thing she never wanted to hear.

"You win, Alistair. Get me off this rack and just leave her alone." She heard Dean say and she screamed at him not to. She begged for him to stop but he stepped off the rack all the same and the chains disappeared. He released the chains holding her and, since she had no strength left, she just fell to the ground like a bag of potatoes.

"Put her away from the others." Dean ordered as Alistair took him over to the table of tools he had set out and told him about each one.

She was then taken to her own room with a bed. She looked around and saw it was a cage made of some unknown metallic material. She looked and saw a cot where she laid down and for the first time in 480 years, she slept.

She was woken later by a demon yanking her out of her cage and putting her on another rack. She was so confused. She thought Alistair said she would be left alone.

She looked up to find the bastard standing over her. "So Sleeping Beauty is finally awake." He turned around to tell someone to bring the tools in. "Ten years is a long time to sleep."

"I haven't slept for nearly a century, what do you expect?" She said but was surprised she had slept for that long. "You said I would be left alone."

"Yes I did, but you are part of the final test." He sneered as Dean walked in.

"What the hell is this?" Dean bellowed as he saw Mel strapped to the rack with a table of tools in the room.

"Your final test, Dean. You have to see if you can make her scream like I can." He smiled as Dean looked at him with pure fury.

"You will let her go. Use someone else for your test. I will not hurt her." He said as he looked at her. He could tell that, even though she acted tough, she was broken inside and he would do nothing to hurt her further.

"If you don't do this, you go right back on the rack and she goes back to where she was also." Alistair threatened.

Dean grabbed a knife and lunged at Alistair but before he could reach him, he vanished in a flash of white light. Alistair screamed in fury and turned around to hit Mel, but she saw a white light and knew she was no longer in hell.

She jerked awake to find herself in a glass coffin in an iron room. She started beating on it, but it wouldn't break. She then saw Bobby standing over it with holy water and salt.

"Please, Bobby. I can't breathe!" She tried to scream but was sure it only came out muffled to him.

He opened the glass case but his hand was immediately around her throat. "You are dead." He said as he threw holy water on her. He looked surprised as she coughed but quickly recovered and he shoved salt down her throat. When nothing happened he gasped and backed away. "How is it possible?"

She grabbed his thing of holy water and chugged it to get rid of the salt. "How the hell should I know?" She stood up and looked down. She was in a flowing white wedding dress. Her hair was curled and she had slight makeup on. She looked at Bobby who only smiled. He rushed to her and hugged her to him so tight, she had to tell him she needed air.

"What the hell am I wearing?" She asked as she spun around. Holy shit she was wearing heels! Beautiful white sandal heels that crossed up her legs like ballet ribbons do.

"Dean wanted you to wear it. He went to find you because he had wanted to… well he can tell you, but he picked it out and paid the coroner to do all of this." Bobby smiled as Mel walked back over to the mirror. "There are clothes upstairs for you."

She shook her head. "I'm not ready to change yet." She was looking at how beautiful she looked. "How did I stay this way?"

Bobby looked at her. "Are you sure you don't know how you got back?"

She shook her head. "Why?"

"Because you were fully embalmed. There was no blood left in your body. That case had very little if no oxygen so you wouldn't decompose." Bobby said as he put a hand on her back and she hissed in pain. They looked at each other and she unzipped her dress. Bobby gasped as he saw a hand print on her back. He winced as it looked seared into her skin.

"What the hell is going on?" Mel asked as she turned around and saw the print. Just then the phone rang and Bobby went to answer it while Mel just kept wondering why Dean wanted her in a wedding dress.

She heard something about Dean being dead and if they called back he would kill them. She looked up and Bobby came back into the room. "Just some shit head who thinks acting like Dean is a joke." She nodded.

"Dean is dead?" She pretended like it was news to her. "How did he die?"

"Sam was killed by someone and Dean made a deal with a Crossroads Demon and was given a year for Sam's life." She shook her head with disbelief. "Is it so hard to believe? He would have done the same for you. Hell, I think he tried to, but no one would deal for some reason."

"How did you know I was in Hell?" She asked.

"We went on a hunt and a demon made the mistake of saying that to Dean. He went nuts on the son of a bitch and beat him to the point that if a human once existed in that body, it was dead after he was done with it." Bobby said as he put an arm around her shoulders. "I've never seen him as upset over a woman as he was about you."

"Wow…" She didn't know what to say. She knew Dean would be hurt over her death, but she had no idea he would go nuts like that. "I'm going to go upstairs, Bobby." He just nodded knowing she had a lot to think about.

As soon as she was upstairs, she sat down on the bed of her old room and broke down. She let the sobs rack her body as she realized Dean was probably still in hell. She knew he was dead and no one would deal to bring him back. She had lost him for good and now she couldn't see him anymore. She got up and looked in a mirror once her sobs and become sniffles. She looked at herself in the dress and knew why Dean put her in one. He wanted her to have a regular life and part of that would have been her in a wedding dress. The tears stopped flowing as she fixed her running makeup. She laughed at the fact that it was a dress that was off the shoulder. That drove Dean wild whenever she wore anything off the shoulder.

She all of a sudden heard a commotion downstairs and she rushed to find Bobby fighting with someone. When he pushed the guy back she gasped when she realized it was Dean.

"Bobby, it's me!" He screamed.

"My ass!" Bobby retorted as he lunged at him again.

"Wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer! You became a hunter when your wife was possessed. You're about the closest thing I have to a father." He ranted. "Bobby, it's me!"

Bobby walked up to Dean with surprise in his eyes before trying to stab him again. Mel watched in horror but knew it was the best defense in case Dean was possessed.

"I'm not a shapeshifter!" Dean shouted.

"Then you're a revenant!" Bobby shouted back as Dean grabbed the knife and held it to his arm.

"If I was either, would I be able to do this with a silver knife?" He asked as he cut himself. Mel gasped as she saw it cut into his flesh.

"Dean?" She heard Bobby say as they walked up to each other.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Dean said as he reached Bobby.

Bobby grabbed Dean into a hug and they stayed like that for a few seconds.

"It's good to see you boy. But how did you bust out?" Bobby asked knowing I was right around the corner.

"I don't know." Dean said. "I just woke up in a pine box…" He didn't get to finish because Bobby splashed holy water in his face. "I'm not a demon either you know."

"Sorry, can't be too careful." Bobby said.

They started talking about how he busted out when Dean smelled something. He knew that perfume anywhere. He turned around and Mel was standing there in her dress with the same hair and makeup that she had when he put her in that glass case. He backed up a few steps before Bobby caught him.

"It's her, Dean. It's really her." He said as he left the room.

They just stood there for a moment before Dean rushed across the room and pulled her into a hug so fierce, she thought she was never going to breathe again but she didn't care. She hugged him right back as tears fell down her cheeks.

He pulled back, put both hands on her cheeks, and looked right into her eyes. "It's really you?" He asked with sincerity.

"No, Dean, this is Cher!" She said. She couldn't resist teasing him. It was worth it because he laughed before tears ran down his cheeks also. She opened her mouth to say something, but it was stopped when his lips crashed down onto hers. They both let out simultaneous soft moans at the soft kiss that quickly deepened.

Dean's tongue ran across her bottom lip begging for entrance and she immediately granted it. He backed her up against the wall as she moaned at the contact of his tongue gently massaging hers. When her back hit the wall, however, she immediately stopped responding and stiffened.

Dean sensed the change and looked at her. He saw pure fear in her eyes.

"Baby, it's me. I'm not going to hurt you." He said as he tried to kiss her softly for reassurance but she screamed and ducked beneath him. "What's wrong?" He asked as he tried to grab her, but she wouldn't let him anywhere near her. Finally he grabbed her around the waist to try to calm her down but she started screaming like a banshee telling him not to touch her.

"Bobby!" Dean screamed and Bobby came bursting into the room. He took one look at Mel and went to grab a sedative. He put it into her arm and after a few seconds, she became drowsy.

"I've got you, baby." Dean cooed in her ear. "I've got you." He felt her go limp in his arms and took her to the couch to lay her down. Once in the other room, Dean turned to Bobby.

"What the hell was that?" Bobby demanded.

"I don't know." Dean said as he ran a hand through his hair and over his face. "We were kissing and she freaked out and told me not to touch her. She called me demon scum…" His eyes went wide. "You don't think they…."

Bobby nodded. "She is a female they wanted to torture. Of course that would be on their agenda. I don't think she fully remembers it, but her body is reacting subconsciously to protect her."

Dean walked over to the door and looked at her peaceful sleeping form. "I can't believe it, Bobby. She wasn't supposed to go to hell. She had the purest heart of us all!" Dean said as he sat down.

"That's not always how it goes. Even you know that." Bobby said.

Dean nodded. "So, Sam's phone is disconnected. Is he…?"

"No, he is alive as far as I know." Bobby said.

As Mel woke up, she heard Dean on the phone with a cell phone company. She was still groggy but she got up anyway. She had to steady herself on the walls, but she made it to the kitchen behind him.

"The name is Wedge Antilles. The social is 2474." He said before hanging up and putting the phone down. He looked up to see her standing there. "You woke up fast."

"Sedatives don't have a big effect on me anymore I guess." Mel shrugged as she walked up to Dean and hugged him softly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."

Dean immediately hugged her close. "Mel, I would never hurt you."

She nodded. "I know. I don't know why it happened. I just looked at you and saw… well… I don't know what I saw." She stepped back and smiled.

"I meant to tell you earlier," Dean said. "You look beautiful."

She giggled. "Well someone apparently has good taste and it isn't me." She said as she took his hand in both of hers. "Why did you put me in a wedding dress?"

Dean cleared his throat. "I always wanted a normal life for you." He said and she knew he was hiding something. "Let's find Sammy. Idiot has gone missing." She laughed and let the matter go, for now.

She walked into the computer room to see Bobby. She smiled and he just smiled back. No need for words right now.

"So how did you know he would use that name?" Bobby asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Dean said. "What don't I know about that kid?" Mel smiled. "By the way, what's with the liquor store, Bobby? Are your parents out of town?"

"Like I said, these months haven't been easy." Bobby said.

Dean let it go but looked at the screen. "Sam's in Pontiac, Illinois." He stated.

"That's right near where you were planted." Bobby said.

"Right where I popped up." Dean finished for him. Mel looked really confused. "That's quite a coincidence."

He stood up and grabbed his coat. "Babe, as much as I love you in that dress, you might need to change."

Mel looked down at herself then smiled. "Give me half an hour."

True to her word, she was ready half an hour later with her gear.

"Why didn't you leave your hair down?" Dean teased as they walked to the car.

"You know I don't hunt well with it down, Winchester." She teased back as she hit him in the arm.

"Ouch, I like them rough." He said and shut up when he saw her hesitate at the comment. "Mel…"

"Let's get going you two!" Bobby yelled from the car.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Dean looked in the backseat as they arrived at the hotel where Sam was located to see Mel asleep. He motioned for Bobby to keep quiet as they got out of the car. They went up to the room, which was 207, and Dean pounded on the door. He looked surprised to see a half naked brunette open the door.

"So where is it?" She asked rather rudely.

"Where is what?" Dean asked confused.

"The pizza it takes three people to deliver." She said looking past them.

Dean turned around and saw Mel standing there and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" She asked. "I woke up and didn't want to be…" She stopped herself. "I didn't want to be left out." She walked up to the girl. "Guys, I think you have the wrong room."

Right then a guy's voice came out of the room and they all looked to see Sammy coming out of the bathroom. He stopped when he saw Dean and Mel stood a little bit behind Bobby to let the boys have their moment.

Everything was going good until Sam pulled out a knife and swung it at Dean. Bobby sprung into action and pulled Sam off of Dean. "Sam it's him. I have already been through this. It's really him!"

Sam stopped. "What…?"

Dean smiled. "I know. I look amazing don't I?" Sam then hugged him.

"So are you guys like… together?" The brunette asked.

"Are you kidding?" Mel asked. "The short one is mine woman!"

That got Sam's attention on Mel. "That's my brother." He walked up to Mel and put a hand to her face. "You're here too?" Mel nodded. He hugged her and spun her around like old times.

"By the way you boys are soooo morbid!!! We will have a little talk once miss I-need-to-get-dressed leaves." She said while glaring at the girl.

"I guess I'll go." She said and Mel rolled her eyes.

When Sam said goodbye and came back in the mood changed as he sat down to put his shoes on.

Mel felt Dean's pissed off mood. "So how much did it cost?" He asked.

"What the girl? I don't pay, Dean." Sam asked.

"No, to bring me back!" Dean said.

"You guys thought I made a deal?" Sam looked around and Mel held up her hands.

"Don't look at me. I'm just along for the ride." She flashed him a smile then got serious. "But if you did deal I will kill you!" She said.

"I didn't bring you back!" Sam said as he stood up.

"I don't believe you, Sammy! What did you do?" Dean asked. "Who did you deal with because this was some bad mojo!"

"I tried but no one would deal, Dean! I'm sorry I couldn't bring you out of the pit." Mel's eyes glistened as she heard his pain. "I'm sorry."

"I know. I believe you." Dean said.

Sam turned around. "And how the hell did you get back?"

Mel shrugged. "I just woke up in a glass case… which reminds me. Why the hell was I in a glass box? That is like beyond creepy people!"

Dean rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to bury you."

"Then you should have burned me! You know what could have happened!" Mel said.

"I couldn't do that either!" Dean shouted.

"Why the hell not?" Mel also started shouting.

"I didn't want to admit that you were gone! I couldn't let you be gone. As long as you were alive to me, I could fight. I knew that if I admitted you were dead, my fight would have been gone!" Dean shouted catching everyone off guard.

Mel's eyes widened. "What?"

"I couldn't lose you. You are everything to me." He said and Mel knew full well that this was hard for him to say in front of others even though Sam and Bobby knew exactly what he was going to say.

Bobby stood up. "As lovely as this moment is, we have a bigger problem. What pulled you out of the pit if Sam didn't?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know."

Mel looked around. "So, now that I'm back. Can we get rid of the coffin? Just wondering." They all just looked at her. "What?"

Bobby shook his head. "I know a psychic a few hours away from here. I'll see if she wants to take a crack at this."

Bobby and Sam walked out of the room. Mel walked over to Dean and put her palm against his face.

"I know it was stupid not to burn you, Mel, but I couldn't." He said as she saw tears in his eyes.

"I know, Dean. I wouldn't be able to burn you either. I'm here now so we can get rid of it." Mel said.

"There is another reason you were in a wedding dress. I was planning on proposing to you after I had found you, but when we found you, you were…" His voice hitched as he rubbed his hands over his face.

Mel lay down on the bed and pulled Dean down with her. They just laid there for a little while and just held each other. Mel leaned up and lightly kissed Dean. He kept it light so he wouldn't scare her again. He very nearly groaned when she pushed her body up against his and deepened the kiss. He cupped her cheek with his palm and slowly kissed her back letting all the pain of missing her and how happy he was to have her back slip into it.

After a little while, Mel pulled back and smiled at him. He had let her take control so she could be comfortable. "As much as I would absolutely love for us to stay here, we need to go before Bobby sends a search party. Plus, we still have a demon to find." She said as she sat up.

Dean jumped off the bed. "Let's put this bitch in the ground!" He said and Mel laughed. There was the Dean she always knew.

Bobby and Sam were waiting outside for them. "She is about four hours down the highway. Try to keep up." Bobby said as he got in his own car.

Mel debated going with Bobby because she wanted to leave Dean and Sam alone to talk but Dean wrapped his arm around her waist and she knew that was out of the question.

Sammy threw him some keys and she laughed when he caressed his old car. "Did you miss me, sweetheart?"

"Why yes I did, Dean. Now quit having eye sex with your car so we can get on the road already." Mel said and Sam laughed as Dean glared.

"You are jealous of my car? Seriously?" Dean asked and Mel just rolled her eyes and got in the car. He took one look inside and got pissed. "What the hell is that?"

"It's an ipod jack." Sam said.

"You were supposed to take care of her!" Dean said and Mel rolled her eyes over his stupid obsession.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was now my car." Sam said with a smile on his face.

When Dean turned on the car, country started playing through the speakers. "Seriously?" He said as he yanked the ipod out and threw it into the back seat.

"Hey watch it! I'm still back here!" Mel said and saw Dean wince.

Sometime down the road Mel fell asleep and awoke again to the boys talking about something she didn't understand.

"So you have been using your psychic ESP thing then?" Dean said as he checked to make sure Mel was still asleep.

"No." Sam said.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked and Mel was wondering what the hell was going on.

"I don't use it. It was practically your dying wish." Sam said indignantly.

"Ok." Dean said and let it go.

Mel was still confused as she drifted back to sleep.

When they got to the house, Mel felt a little bit better. So much had happened when she was gone; she just needed to catch up on everything. She smiled when Bobby hugged a woman he called Pam and she picked him up.

"So these are the boys?" She asked. She then looked Dean up and down and he returned the look. Mel shifted uncomfortably and just walked into the house without waiting for Pam to move out of the way.

"So have the spirits said anything?" Bobby asked glancing at Mel who just shook her head at him.

"I have Ouiji'd my way through at least a dozen spirits but they don't know what happened or who brought you back." Pam replied.

"So what now?" Bobby asked.

"A séance I think." She said.

"You don't mean summon the thing here do you?" Bobby asked nervously.

"No, I just want to take a peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal." She replied playfully as they all moved into the next room.

They got everything ready and Mel saw Dean look at Pam's ass that had a tattoo.

"Who is Jesse?" Dean asked.

"It didn't last forever, that's for sure." Pam replied.

"His loss." Dean said and Mel's jaw dropped.

"It may be your gain." Pam said as she looked at him like a piece of meat.

Dean turned to Sam. "I hope she wasn't kidding."

"Dude she will eat you alive." Sam said and Mel was even more hurt that he was egging this on.

"I just got out of jail dude, bring it!" He said as Pam walked back up to them.

"You're invited too, grumpy." She said as she looked at Sam.

"You are not invited!" Dean snapped before looking at Mel. He did a double-take when he saw the tears running down her face before he saw her stalk out of the room.

He followed her only to see her getting her stuff out of his car.

"What are you doing, Mel?" Dean asked as he walked up to her.

"You are so full of shit, Dean Winchester! You almost had me fooled! You almost had me believing that you missed me." She slammed the door and got in his face. "You can no longer fool me. You haven't changed. Still the same playboy you always have been. It was good seeing you, but I'll catch the next bus out of town. Have a nice life."

Dean followed her. "Mel, we were just joking."

"No, you weren't, Dean. You weren't joking. I thought you loved me when all you loved was the fact that I am a woman. And now that I won't sleep with you, you run off to the first piece of ass that hits on you. I'm done with you. I wash my hands clean now. Goodbye, Dean Winchester." With that she walked off and left Dean standing in the driveway of Pam's house.

She was at the bus station when her phone started ringing. She looked and saw it was Dean and ignored it. The next call was from Sam and she ignored it. The third one was from Bobby and she ignored it. She was leaving and she wasn't going to let them stop her.

Right before she got onto the bus, someone grabbed her and took her to the side. She aimed a punch but Bobby caught it before it could hit his face.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" He asked as she put her bags down.

"I bought a ticket and am going wherever the bus takes me." She replied.

"You are just gonna leave those to idiots alone together?" Bobby asked.

"Those two idiots can fend for themselves. One of them said he loved me then pulled that shit he did today while the other one encouraged it. Why should I stay when I was lied to?" She replied.

"You know Dean loves you. It is just the same issue it has always been. He doesn't know how to show it. He nearly went mad with grief. You have been gone four years and he doesn't want to admit you are real." Bobby said.

"Only four years?" She asked with disbelief.

"How long did you think you had been gone?" He asked.

"Time apparently moves faster in Hell because I was down there 480 years, Bobby. I rotted for nearly half a century before I was yanked out. Dean may not remember everything is still crystal clear to me." She said. "I don't care how he feels right now because it's my feelings that were betrayed and I will not stay when I can't trust him not to cheat on me."

Bobby blinked. "480 years? How did you survive?"

"I thought about Dean every damn day and I pulled through with strength. I was beaten, torn apart, and raped daily. Sometimes I was only raped for weeks at a time. It never seemed to end. I don't know how many times I was pregnant and they cut it out of me because they didn't want me to have it. Dean may think he had it bad in hell, but it's nowhere near what I had to endure." She snapped.

"He doesn't know I know this but he talked in his sleep the other night and I think you are wrong. He endured more when he watched you being tortured. Yes, he shouted it in his sleep." Bobby said catching Mel off guard. "That boy needs you and you need him. You both know it but are both to stupid to admit it."

"What do you want me to do? I just missed my bus so I get to wait for another one." She huffed and sat down.

Bobby stood over her. "You are going to go to him and not leave until you two have fought and worked this out. Then you can hit Sam all you want."

"Fine." Was all Mel said before she got up and walked with Bobby to his car.

When they approached the door to the hotel, they heard Dean's shout and shattering glass. Mel burst through the door as she saw him on the ground with blood coming out of his ears.

"Dean!" She ran to him as he clutched his ears and screamed in agony. Then she heard the high pitch ringing and clutched her own head before it stopped.

When it stopped, they all piled into Bobby's car while Dean called Sam.

"Bobby, what are we going to do?" Mel asked as she sat next to Dean trying to clean the blood off of him.

"I don't know, Mel. I don't know." He replied, his face grave.

"We are gonna summon the damn thing. If it wants me, it can come get me." Dean said as he took the towel away from Mel and started cleaning himself off.

"Dean, it could want me too." Mel said.

"If it comes after you, that's the last thing it'll ever do." Dean said as fury raided his eyes.

"So you do care." Mel said with a smart ass attitude.

"I've always cared and can we not do this now?" He said.

"Fine, but don't think this is over, boy." She said as she sat back for the rest of the drive.

When they got to the barn they were going to use, Mel got out and walked over to help Bobby with the paint and ingredients while Dean got the weapons ready.

It took a while but finally all the symbols were painted and all the weapons were sharpened and salted. Bobby said the incantation then they started the waiting game. Mel ended up standing up and pacing around checking all of the symbols making sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

After a while Dean got antsy. "You sure you said the incantation right?"

Bobby just glared at him. "Ok! Touchy, touchy." Dean said as he messed with the salt.

Suddenly the wind picked up and started banging the metal plates on the roof. Mel instinctively moved towards Dean as she raised the gun she was holding and pointing it at nothing in particular.

When the lights started popping and electrocuting out, Dean pulled Mel behind him. All of a sudden, the doors busted open and in walked a man in a suit.

When they all saw him, they started shooting until they were out of ammo. Bobby went to reload when the thing touched his forehead and he fell to the ground and the thing walked up to Dean and Mel. Dean pulled out a knife and stabbed it in the chest and it just took it out.

"We need to talk… alone." It said.

Dean leaned down to check on Bobby to make sure he was ok.

"Your friend is fine." The man said.

"Who are you?" Dean asked keeping Mel behind him.

"I am Castiel." It said.

"I guess that much but WHAT are you?" Dean rephrased.

"I am an angel of the lord." Castiel said.

"That is the biggest load of bull I have ever heard. There is no such thing." Dean retorted.

"That is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." Castiel said as he looked at Mel. "You used to have faith, Melissa. What happened?"

"I got sent to hell, that's what. I rotted for over 400 years and where were you?" She said and Dean turned to look at her.

"It was not your time yet, Melissa. You lost your faith in Hell and I am here to help restore it." Castiel said as he looked at both of them.

"Wait… so you come to restore our faith wearing what? Holy tax accountant?" Dean said.

"This is… a vessel." Castiel said as he looked at what he was wearing.

"So you're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean asked flabbergasted and Mel gasped.

"He is a devout man. He prayed for this."

"What the hell do you want?" Mel asked as she stayed behind Dean.

"We have work for you to do." Castiel said.

**A/N: Ok, guys, I know some of you have been complaining about how often I update so you need to know that I am in college and time for this comes rarely so I write whenever I can. Also it isn't as easy to think of ideas as it seems. I am thinking about constant tests while worrying I'm pissing you guys off by not updating that much. I'm very sorry but I don't have all the time in the world but I will update the first chance I get. Happy Holidays!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Melissa woke up to Dean talking to Sam and Bobby. Well, it was more like arguing. She got up, brushed her teeth and hair, and got dressed before walking down stairs. She just leaned against the door frame watching Dean as he moved around the house. God, that man was sexy. She felt lucky to even be near him.

"All I know is, I was not groped by an angel!" Dean said as he leaned against the kitchen counter. He looked up and saw Mel was up and smiled slightly at her before returning to the argument.

"Why would this Castiel lie about it?" Sam asked as he looked at Dean.

"It may be some kind of demon. Demons lie, we all know that!" Dean retorted.

"A demon that is immune to salt rounds, and Devil's traps, and Ruby's knife? Dean, Lillith is scared of that thing!" Sam said and they both noticed Mel visibly flinch at the demon's name.

"If angels were real, don't you think that some hunter somewhere would have seen one?" Dean asked and Mel smiled.

"If they had seen one, they would probably have the same reaction as you." Mel said as she walked over to him.

"You are so funny. Did you know that?" Dean said before kissing her forehead good morning.

"You just did, Dean." Sam said as he watched the exchange between the two.

"I'm trying to come up with a theory here so work with me!" Dean said.

"Sounds like you guys have a theory." Mel said as she looked between the two.

"Don't tell me you believe this! You are supposed to be the smart one." Dean said sarcastically.

"No I'm supposed to be the undeniable, sexy one." Mel said as she walked away.

Dean nodded as he watched her ass as she left the room. "And you are just that!" He muttered under his breath.

"She is right. We do have a theory!" Sam said as he brought Dean back to the problem at hand.

"One with a little less fairy dust please!" Dean retorted.

"I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think we—" Sam said.

"Okay, okay, that's the thing. We don't know for sure so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is some angel of the lord because it says so!" Dean interrupted Sam.

"Do you two knuckleheads wanna keep arguing religion or do you wanna come take a look at this?" Bobby said drawing their attention.

Mel took her place beside Dean as they walked up to the desk Bobby was sitting at. He placed a book in front of them.

"I got stacks of lore that is Biblical, pre-Biblical, hell; some of it is in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit." Bobby explained.

"What else?" Mel and Dean asked at the same time.

"What else what?" Bobby retorted.

"What else could do it?" Dean continued.

"Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, nothing." Bobby replied.

All four looked at each other and Mel silently slipped out of the room. She couldn't believe she had been saved after so long down there. What had taken them so damn long? When she composed herself she headed back into the room.

"Dean, Mel, this is good news." Sammy said smiling.

"How is it?" Mel retorted with more venom then she meant.

"Because, for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap. Maybe you were saved by one of the good guys." Sam replied giving Mel a weird look.

"Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what, there's a God?" Dean said and Mel nodded in agreement.

"At this point, Vegas money's on yeah." Bobby said.

"I don't know, guys." Dean said.

"Ok, look. I know you're not all choir boy about this stuff but this is becoming less about faith and more and more about proof." Sam said jumping in.

"Proof?" Mel and Dean said at the same time again.

"Yes." Sam said.

"Proof that there's a God out there that gives a crap about us personally?" Dean asked and Mel just stood there not believing it. "I'm sorry but I'm not buying it."

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?" Dean practically shouted. "I've saved some people. I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. Buy why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy."

Mel's eyes widened at the comment about the women. Dean's eyes connected with hers and he had a "We'll talk later" look.

Sam coughed. "What about Mel? She was saved too. What do you think?"

"You don't wanna know what I think, Sammy." She said turning away.

"Why not? You were saved for a reason. Don't you wonder why?" Sam prodded.

Mel spun back around so fast they all flinched. "No I don't wanna wonder why they left me down there rotting for god knows how long it was up here! I don't wanna know why I'm valuable all of a sudden. I don't wanna know why I waited to be saved for over 450 years and was never answered until Dean went to Hell!" She screamed as she stormed out of the room in tears.

Dean's brain was going a mile a minute at what she just said. Had it been that long down in Hell for her? What had she gone through? What had they done to her in that time? He was brought back to reality by Sam's voice.

"Apparently you guys are just regular people important to the man upstairs." Sam said switching subjects.

"Well that creeps me out." Dean said as he continued to look at the stairs. "I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by God."

"Well, too bad, Dean because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat." Sam retorted.

Dean looked between them then sighed in defeat. "Fine. What do we know about angels?"

Bobby leaned up and slammed a big stack of books onto the desk. "Start reading." He said.

Dean pointed at Sam before snatching a book off the top. "You're gonna get me some pie!"

He walked out of the room and up the stairs where he heard soft sobs coming from Mel's room. He walked up to the door and softly knocked.

"Come in." He heard but it was muffled. When he walked in, he saw her in the fetal position on her bed and her face and arms were soaked from tears. Dean walked over and sat on the bed.

"Hey, Mel." He said as he stroked her back. He knew this always soothed her when she was upset.

Mel sat up and scooted closer to Dean who picked her up and sat her across his lap. He hugged her to his chest and ran his fingers through her hair. "What happened down there, Mel? What the hell did they do to you."

Mel shook her head. "You don't wanna know." She whispered as she clung to him.

Dean put his finger under her chin and brought her face up to look at him. "I don't want the gory details but I do want the gist of what happened."

"I was beaten most of the time. Tortured also. I always was hoarse from screaming. Finally I just stopped screaming so I wouldn't give them the satisfaction." She said and she saw his eyes darken with anger. "I was also… raped… countless times." She choked on the words as tears filled Dean's eyes. "When you showed up I thought I was hallucinating."

"How did you not give in?" He asked thoroughly amazed.

"I remembered you. I knew you would be so angry with me if I did. Your face gave me strength." She said and was shocked when Dean's lips crashed on hers. She felt his tongue lightly tracing her lips begging for entrance and she quickly opened her them. She moaned at the feel of his tongue running against hers. She put her arms around his neck as his grip on her tightened before he leaned her back on the bed.

She stiffened for a moment when visions from Hell invaded her mind and she felt him lean up slightly.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have. You aren't ready…" Dean said as he tried to leave the room.

Melissa pushed all the visions out of her mind. This was Dean and he would never hurt her.

"Dean…" She said barely above a whisper. As he turned around she brought her shirt up over her head and threw it to the floor.

Dean swallowed noisily. "Are you sure?" He asked as he walked towards her.

"Yes." She said before she yanked his head down to hers to meet in the most passionate kiss either of them had ever shared. She pulled Dean's shirt off while his hands roamed on her skin. It was still like silk he thought. He backed them up until he was laying her down on the bed.

He felt his manhood immediately stiffen to a painful point when he heard her moan after sucking and nibbling on her neck. He leaned her up just far enough to unclasp her bra with one hand while the other one slowly took it off.

"God, you are beautiful." He said before claiming her mouth once more. As he reached for her jeans, his cell phone went off. Dean cursed because it was Sam's ringtone. Mel laughed a little as he struggled to get it out of his jeans.

"What?" He snapped and heard Sam's laugh. "Are you near the diner?" She watched as he smiled. "Don't forget to get me chips. Oh and Mel wants some too." Mel chuckled while Dean gave Sam hell. "Don't forget my damn pie… never… ok don't take too long with my food!" He said before hanging up.

"I guess Sam is getting you pie?" Mel asked as she nibbled up and down Dean's arms and back.

"Yeah but I've got something better than that!" He said before turning around and pinning her down. Their kisses turned into a heated frenzy. They started ripping at each other's jeans. Dean kissed Mel hard as he slowly entered her sighing from the heavenly feeling. It had been too long. He stopped moving when he was fully inside her so she could adjust to him.

When Mel started bucking her hips, he started thrusting at a slow easy pace that teased both of them to the point of near pain. When Mel raked her nails down his back softly, Dean started thrusting faster. He loved the mewling sounds Mel made whenever they made love and it made him groan.

Mel smiled. Dean never moaned during sex hardly. The fact that he was meant he was immensely enjoying himself.

As she felt herself getting close, she noticed Dean twitching a little meaning he was close as well.

"Hold on, baby." She said as she kissed him softly. "I'm almost…" She didn't get to finish because with one last hard thrust, they both fell over the cliff of ecstasy. Dean kissed her hard to absorb some of the sounds she made.

He gently rolled off of her and lay down beside her. He looked at her covered in sweat and breathing heavily from their love making and thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful.

He smiled softly when he saw her eye lids start closing before she would snap them open again.

"Get some sleep, Mel. I know you haven't been sleeping well." He said as he got up and pulled the blankets down for her to get under. He saw the panicked look in her eyes. "I'll be right here as you fall asleep. I'm not going anywhere." He put his boxers on and sat down next to her and stroked her hair until he was sure she was asleep. When her breathing evened out, he quietly got up, got dressed, and went back downstairs to join Bobby.

"How is she?" Bobby asked as he saw Dean re-enter.

"The things they did to her, it's a wonder she is still human." Dean said as he sat down in a chair and ran his hands down his face.

"I don't wanna know." Bobby said and Dean nodded in agreement.

A little while later, Bobby came back inside from making phone calls.

"Pack your bags. We are going on a little run to visit a friend of mine." Bobby said as he walked towards his room.

"Mel is still sleeping." Dean said following him.

"Then wake her up. She can sleep on the way." Bobby said shooing him away.

Dean cursed as he walked up the stairs towards her room. He stopped for a minute in the door way to watch her sleep. She looked so calm and peaceful. If anyone should have been an angel, it should have been her. He walked over and shook her lightly and she jerked awake.

"Woah. It's just me, Mel." Dean said as he went to pick out some clothes for her to wear. "Bobby said we are checking on a friend of his, so I'm gonna pack some clothes for you while you get dressed."

"I'm so tired." She said as she sat up sleepily.

"I know, baby. You can sleep in the car, ok?" Dean said as he packed random shirts and jeans. He paid more attention to her bras and underwear.

Mel slowly got dressed and Dean walked behind her to see Bobby talking to Sam. He helped her into the back of the Impala where she immediately fell asleep after Dean kissed her forehead.

Sam looked back at her. "Is she ok?"

"No." Dean said. "But I think she will be. Move over." He said as he got into the driver's seat. He checked the rearview and Sam saw his eyes soften as he looked at the sleeping form of Mel. Sam handed him the food he had gotten and Dean anxiously dug through it. "Dude, where's the pie?" He asked getting pissed off.

It took them a few hours but they finally made it to Bobby's friend's house. Her name was Olivia Lowry and she was a hunter. Bobby said she hadn't been answering the phone for a few days and that's not like her.

When they got there, Mel had just woken up and was leaning forward and putting her chin on Dean's shoulder.

"Are we almost to where ever it is that we are going?" She asked as she saw them pull into a driveway.

"It's a friend of Bobby's. Olivia Lowry is her name and she isn't answering her phone." Dean answered her as he parked. "Do you want to go inside?" He asked and she nodded.

They piled out of the cars and she walked between Sam and Dean up to the house. Bobby went in first to check things out.

He called for her before looking into her bedroom. His eyes went wide before they all saw her with her ribcage open and her chest empty.

Mel gasped and covered her mouth. Dean quickly grabbed her head and put it into his chest so she wouldn't see it.

Bobby stormed out and he took Mel with him. She sat on the front porch as Bobby started making phone calls to other hunters. All of a sudden visions and memories of Hell surfaced and she put her head in her knees so Bobby wouldn't know and cried silently to herself as she was assaulted with more gore and death.

Inside, the two brothers approached Olivia's body.

"Salt line." Sam said as he noticed the thick line of salt separating the bedroom from the living room.

Sam leaned down as Dean walked over to her closet where her guns were on display. "Olivia was rockin' the EMF reader." He said as he held it up.

Sam nodded. "Spirit activity." He said.

"Yeah. On steroids, too." Dean said as he put the reader down. "I've never seen a ghost do this to a person."

They both looked up as Bobby came back in with a worried look on his face. "I called some hunters nearby."

"Good we could use the help." Dean said as he noticed Mel wasn't in the room. She must have still been outside.

"They ain't answerin their phones either." Bobby said and they all had grave looks on their faces.

"Something's up, huh?" Sam asked and Bobby just looked at him.

"You think?" He said and his words were dripping with sarcasm.

They all left soon after but Dean stopped on the porch where he saw Mel sitting. He heard her whimper and shook her a little bit.

"Hey, are you ok?" He asked as she looked up at him.

"I'll be fine." She said as she stood up.

"We're leaving." Dean stated plainly as he walked her to the car. He pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Mel. I'm so sorry." He felt her smile into his chest as he kissed her forehead.

"It's fine, Dean. I wouldn't be a hunter if I couldn't take it. It just caught me off guard." She said as she kissed him softly. "What now?"

"I'm gonna start calling other hunters because apparently they aren't answering either. We are gonna also go see a few of them ."

"Well, in that case, can I ride shotgun with you?" She said looking at him from under her eye lashes in the way that Dean couldn't say no.

"Sammy! Get in the back seat!" Dean shouted back and saw Sam rolling his eyes as he moved.

Later that night, Mel sat in the car while Sam and Dean checked on a man named Jed. When they came out with grave faces, she knew it wasn't good news. She saw Dean on the phone and figured Bobby had the same news from the tone of voice Dean was using.

"We're on our way." Dean said as he hung up the phone.

"He is dead, isn't he?" Mel asked already knowing the answer. "What's going on here, Dean? Why the hell is this happening? Are we next?" She asked getting scared.

"Listen to me. If something is coming after us, it isn't getting anywhere near you. I will kill every evil son of a bitch that tries." Dean said with a conviction that Mel hadn't heard in a while. Sam nodded in agreement.

On the way there, Sam needed to stop for a restroom break and Dean had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. Mel went in to get a little bit of food because she was starving. She also figured she could pick something up for Dean because she knew he would be asking for food whenever he woke up.

She was looking around when she heard a scuffle coming from the bathroom where Sam was. Mel hurried to the car.

"Dean! Wake up!" She yelled as she shook him. Dean shot up.

"What?" He asked confused before he saw the scared look on Mel's face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Something is wrong with Sam. I heard a scuffle in the bathroom and the door is locked." She replied and moved back as Dean flew out of the car, grabbed a shotgun, and ran towards the bathroom. He also found the door locked so he backed up and kicked it in. He busted in and saw someone beating Sam and shot it and it disappeared.

They rushed back to the car and Dean quickly sped off. A few minutes down the road he started calling Bobby but Bobby never picked up his phone.

"Damn it, Bobby. Pick up!" He said as he once again hung up. He looked at Sam. "How you feeling? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Mel hit him on the shoulder.

"None. I'll be fine, Dean." Sam said.

"Are you sure? He hit you really hard a few times." Mel said.

"I'll be fine. I promise." Sam said to her.

"Henriksen." Dean stated not believing it.

"Yep." Sam said.

"Why? What did he want?" Dean asked.

"Revenge. Because we got him killed." Sam said.

"Who is Henriksen?" Mel asked.

"We'll tell you later." Dean snapped a little bit. He looked back only to see the slouch come into her shoulders that said she was withdrawing. He felt horrible but he didn't have time to apologize because Bobby still wasn't picking up. "And you," He said to Sam. "Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us. I can't get ahold of Bobby. So if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all."

It was silent the rest of the way back to Bobby's. Dean would look back at Mel every now and then but noticed she refused to look at him. He knew he was an ass, but the apologies would have to wait until after they found out what was going on.

They loaded up on weapons when they finally got to Bobby's and went inside.

"Bobby?" Dean whispered as they walked in. They raced through the kitchen to the library/living room. Dean looked around a corner, snapped at Sam and Mel, and pointed to an iron bar lying in front of the stairs.

"I'll go up, you check outside." He said to Mel and Sam. Mel shook her head but Dean pointed in Sam's direction and she finally followed.

Dean slowly crept up the stairs so none of them would make any noises.

Outside, Mel and Sam went to look through the cars in case he was outside.

"Bobby!" Sam and Mel started shouting. "So," Sam started. "Are you ok?"

"Me?" Mel asked laughing. "You are the one who went head first into a sink several times."

"You know what I mean." Sam said looking down at her.

"I do. I'll be fine, Sam. It'll just take…time." She said.

"I'm here if you need me." He said.

"Thanks and I know. Maybe we should keep looking for Bobby." She said as they made their way through the cars and still calling his name.

Inside, Dean was walking through an upstairs hallway and was also calling Bobby's name when doors started slamming around him and the one at the end of the hall opened slowly.

"Come out. Come out whoever you are." He taunted as he walked down the hallway. He paused as his breath came out in clouds.

"Dean Winchester. Still so bossy." A female voice said from behind him and he whipped around. "You don't recognize me?" The woman said. "This is what I looked like before that demon cut my hair and dressed me like a slut."

"Meg?" He asked with disbelief.

"Hi." She said. Dean held up his gun and she put her hands up. "It's okay. I'm not a demon."

Recognition shone in Dean's eyes. "You're the girl the demon possessed."

"Meg Masters." She introduced herself. "Nice to finally talk to you when I'm not choking on my own blood." She started walking towards Dean and he back up defensively. "It's okay. Seriously. I'm just a college girl. Sorry, was. I was walking home one night, got jumped by all this smoke. Next thing you know," She said pointing to her head. "I'm a prisoner in here. You know I was awake." She said getting angrier. "I had to watch while she murdered people."

"I'm sorry." Dean said as sadness crept into his face.

"Oh, yeah?" Meg said. "So sorry you had me thrown off a building?"

"Well we thought—" He said before he was interrupted.

"No, you didn't think!" Meg said as her anger rose. "I kept waiting, praying. I was trapped in there screaming at you, 'Just help me, please!' You're supposed to help people. Dean, why didn't you help me?" She said in tears.

"I'm sorry." He said again feeling the guilt of what he had done all those years ago.

"Stop saying you're sorry!" She said as she hit him to the ground.

Dean groaned as he tried to sit up. "Meg. Meg." He tried to talk before she kicked him in the face. "We didn't know!"

"No." She said after kicking his gun away. "You just attacked. Did you ever think there was a girl in here? No, you just charged in, slashing and burning. You think you're some kind of hero?"

Dean looked at her with hatred now. "No, I don't."

"You're damn right." She said as she grabbed his collar. He looked down and saw a brand on her hand. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be ridden for months by pure evil while your family has no idea what happened to you?"

Dean's hatred and defiance grew. "We did the best we could." At that, she threw him down and kicked him in the ribs. Dean grunted as the assault continued.

Outside, the search for Bobby continued with Mel and Sam. They both stopped when both of their breaths came out in clouds.

"Bobby!" Sam screamed as they searched nearby cars.

Dean tried to crawl away from Meg as she kept talking. "It wasn't just me, Dean. I had a sister. A little sister. She worshipped me. You know how little siblings are. How they'll do anything for you? She was never the same after I disappeared. She just… got lost. And when my body was lying in the morgue? Beat up, broken?"

"Meg," Dean tried to plead with her.

"Do you know what that did to her?" She said as she kicked him again. "She killed herself! Because of you, Dean. Because all you were thinking about was your family, your revenge, and your demons. 50 words of Latin a little sooner, and I'd still be alive. My baby sister would still be alive."

Dean tried to sit up and look at her but the pain in his ribs was intense.

"That blood is on your hands, Dean!" She shouted.

"You're right." He said as she kicked him again.

Sam and Mel were running out of cars in the area to check until they looked up to see a mirror of one in the air on a pile freezing over with ice.

"Bobby!" Mel shouted.

"Hold on, Bobby! We're coming!" Sam also shouted as they headed to the car.

"Bobby!" Mel shouted again as they opened the car door to see two little girls. Mel felt herself being pushed back and all went black after a sharp pain to her head.

"Mel!" Sam shouted as he too was pushed back. He looked back and a little girl was standing above him. He grabbed the crowbar Mel had off the ground and slashed it through the little girl.

He looked up to see Bobby getting the other one taken care of with his iron rod. They just looked at each other and then Sam remembered Mel.

"Mel!" He shouted but she didn't wake up. "Melissa! Wake up." He looked at her head and found she was bleeding on the back of it. He quickly picked her up and carried her to the house.

Dean had crawled his way into the last room in the hall with Meg still right behind him. He pulled his gun out and pointed it at her.

"Come on, Dean. Did your brain get French fried in hell? You can't shoot me with bullets." Meg said as she walked closer.

"I'm not shooting you." He said as he shot the chandelier down and she disappeared when it fell through her. "Iron!" He said as he got up.

When he got downstairs, he saw Mel laying on the bed with bloody hair on the back of her head.

"What the hell happened to her?" He said as he rushed to her.

"A spirit attacked her and she hit her noggin pretty bad." Bobby said as he gathered books. "She'll be fine."

"So they're all people we know?" Sam said changing the subject.

"Not just know." Dean said as he cleaned his gun quickly beside Mel. "People we couldn't save. I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Like a mark on her hand. It was almost like a brand." Dean said.

Sam nodded. "I saw a mark too, on Hendriksen."

Bobby looked between them. "What'd it look like?"

Sam reached out. "Paper?" He asked as Bobby handed it to him. He picked up a pen and started drawing. After a moment, he held it up for Dean to see. When Dean nodded in recognition, Sam showed it to Bobby.

"I may have seen this before." Bobby said as the lights started flickering. "We gotta move. Follow me!"

He started handing stuff to Sam as Dean picked Mel up.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"Someplace safe, you idiot!" Bobby said as they started off.

He led them down to the basement where they entered another room. As the boys looked around, they saw guns, ammo, and tons of other hunting supplies. Dean saw a bed and rushed to put Mel down. He turned around and there in the middle of the room was her glass coffin.

"This is where you moved her to?" He asked.

"Yeah. I didn't want anything getting to her." Bobby said as Dean traced it with his fingers. He found the letter he had written to her pouring all of his feelings out for her. He slipped it into her back pocket so that she would see it and read it.

Sam walked around feeling the walls.

"It's solid iron completely coated in salt. One hundred percent ghost-proof." Bobby explained.

"You built a panic room?" Sam asked amazed.

Bobby shrugged. "I had a weekend off."

"Bobby," Dean said.

"What?" Bobby replied.

"You're awesome." Dean said smiling as he went through all the guns like a kid in a candy shop.

They sat down and started making ammo while Bobby poured through books looking for the symbol.

Mel groaned as she shifted and tried to open her eyes. "Dean?"

"I'm right here, baby. I'm right here." He said as she opened her eyes.

"What happened? Where the hell are we?" She asked looking around.

"You were attacked and it knocked you out. And we are in Bobby's panic room." Dean replied to both her questions checking for signs of a concussion.

"Bobby built a panic room?" She asked then laid eyes on her coffin. "You guys are so morbid!" She said as she slowly stood up and walked to it.

"None of us could bury you so Bobby let you stay here but I never knew he moved you down here." Dean said and Sam nodded in agreement. "How is your head."

"It hurts but it's fine. What were those spirits?" She asked.

"That's what I'm about to tell you." Bobby said. "I found it. The symbol you saw. The brand on the ghosts. It's the mark of the witness."

"Witness?" Sam said confused. "Witness to what?"

"The unnatural." Bobby said. "None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts, they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They're like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them on purpose."

"Who?" Mel asked.

"Do I look like I know?" Bobby replied. "But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark. A brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called the Rising of the Witnesses. It figures into an ancient prophecy."

"Wait. Wait. What book is that prophecy from?" Dean asked as he walked over to Bobby.

"Well the widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know." Bobby replied. "But long story short: Revelations. This is a sign, boys." Everyone's eyes went wide.

"A sign of what?" All three asked him.

Bobby sat back and sighed. "The apocalypse."

They all looked at each other for a moment before Dean spoke up.

"Apocalypse?" He asked and Bobby nodded. "As in 'apocalypse' apocalypse? The four horsemen, pestilence, $5-a-gallon-gas apocalypse?" Mel's eyes filled with terror at the mention of the four horsemen but no one noticed.

"That's the one." Bobby said. "The Rise of the Witnesses is a mile marker."

"Ok," Sam said. "So what do we do now?"

Dean scoffed. "Road trip." He turned around and saw Mel's face. "You ok?" He asked as he walked over to her. She just nodded but Dean didn't buy it for a second. "The Grand canyon, Start Trek experience, BunnyRanch."

"First things first." Bobby said. "How about we survive our friends out there?"

"There's more of them?" Mel asked panicked.

"Plenty." Dean replied then turned back to Bobby. "Great. Any ideas, aside from staying in this room until Judgment Day?"

Bobby hit the book with his pencil. "It's a spell to send the witnesses back to rest. It should work."

"Should?" Mel asked.

"That's great." Sam spoke up.

"If I translated correctly. I think I got everything we need here at the house." Bobby said.

Dean smiled his goofy smile. "Any chance you got everything we need here in this room?"

"What? You thought our luck was gonna start now?" Bobby retorted which wiped the smile off of Dean's face. "The spell's gotta be cast over an open fire."

Sam chuckled. "The fireplace in the library."

Bobby nodded. "Bingo."

"It's just not as appealing as a ghost-proof panic room, you know?" Dean said and everyone rolled their eyes.

They all got up and Dean walked over to Mel. "I want you to stay in here."

"Hell no!" she immediately protested.

"You're hurt. I don't want anything to happen to you." Dean said. "Please just stay here."

"Fine." She said in a huff as she sat down on the bed.

Dean leaned down and kissed her on her forehead before kissing her on her lips. "I love you." He said so only she could hear before walking over to the others.

"Cover each other and aim careful. Whatever you do, don't run out of ammo or they'll shred you." Bobby said as he opened the door.

"Dean." Mel called before he could walk out. He turned around to see her walk up to him and kiss him as she did a couple days earlier. "I love you too. Come back to me." She said and he smiled.

"I plan on it. You have to finish what you've started." He wiggled his eye brows at her which caused her to laugh.

"Go kill these evil sons of bitches." Mel said and Dean nodded seriously.

She waited anxiously down there and heard plenty of commotion. It seemed like forever before all went quiet. She heard footsteps and then Dean came through the door.

"Miss me?" He asked as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Not at all." She said as she laughed.

"I believe it's time for you to go to sleep." Dean said.

"I'm not tired…" She said right before she yawned.

"That's bull and you know it." He said before leading her upstairs to her bedroom where they attacked each other for most of the night.

Mel woke up to find Dean gone and slowly got dressed and went downstairs. When she came to the kitchen Dean was there with Castiel.

"Excellent job with the Witnesses." He said to Dean.

"You were hip to all this?" Dean asked as Mel walked to his side.

"I was, uh, made aware." Castiel said.

"You bastard!" Mel said and Dean put an arm around her waist to keep her from launching herself at the "angel."

"Thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know I almost got my heart ripped out of my chest!" He said forgetting he hadn't told Mel that until he saw her look at him with a pained expression.

"But you didn't." Castiel said.

"That's not the point!" Mel said looking at the angel once again.

"I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos… you know, Michael Landon. Not dicks." Dean said in his deep I'm-pissed-off voice.

"Read the Bible." Castiel said. "Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

"Then why didn't you fight?" Mel asked and Dean's arm around her waist tightened a little bit.

"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns." Castiel said in the same monotone voice.

"Concerns?" Dean asked. "There were people getting torn to shreds down here. And by the way, while all this is going on, where the hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?"

"There's a God." He stated flatly.

"I'm not convinced." Dean said.

"And neither am I!" Mel said.

"If there's a God, what the hell is he waiting for?" Dean asked. "Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"

"The lord works—" Castiel started.

"If you say 'mysterious ways,' so help me, I'll kick your ass." Dean said and that stopped Cas in his tracks. Mel looked up at Dean and he looked down at her. "So Bobby was right about the witnesses? Was this come kind of a sign of the apocalypse?"

"That's why we're here. Big things afoot." Cas said to Dean.

"You are so full of it." Mel said.

"Do we wanna know what kinds of things?" Dean asked.

"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know." Cas said. "The Rising of the Witnesses is one of the 66 seals."

"I'm guessing that's not a show at SeaWorld." Dean said and Mel looked between them. She knew what it meant. She heard demons talk about it in her time in hell.

"Those seals are being broken by Lilith." Cas replied.

Dean's face lit up with recognition. "She did the spell, she rose the witnesses?"

"Yes and not just here. Twenty other hunters are dead." Castiel said looking at anything but Dean and Mel.

"Of course." Mel said as she stuck her hands in her pockets.

"She picked victims the hunters couldn't save." Dean said. "So that they would barrel right after us."

"Lilith has a certain sense of humor."

"Apparently." Mel retorted to Cas.

"We put those spirits back to rest." Dean said.

"It doesn't matter because the seal was still broken." Cas said with slight annoyance.

"Why break the seal, anyways?" Dean asked.

"You think of the seals as locks on a door." Cas explained.

"Okay? Last one opens and…?" Dean asks and Mel stiffens in anticipation of the answer.

Castiel sighs and looks Dean in the eyes. "Lucifer walks free."

"Lucifer?" Dean asked. Mel's eyes widened and she tried to catch her breath. That bastard was trying to get out? Castiel nodded. "I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at demon Sunday school. There's no such thing."

"Three days ago you thought there was no such thing as me." Castiel said with a slight smirk on his face. "Why do you think we're here, walking among you now for the first time in 2000 years?"

Dean stared in disbelief. "To stop Lucifer."

"It's why we've arrived." Castiel said nodding.

Dean nodded back.

"Bang up job so far!" Mel said as she went back over to Dean.

"Stellar work with the witnesses. It's nice." Dean said with malice in his voice.

"We tried. There are other battles. Other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose." Castiel said trying to reason with Dean. "This one we lost." His eyes had fire in them after Dean scoffed at him. "Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. You think the armies of heaven should just follow you around?"

"Wait just a minute asshole!" Mel said but shut up when Castiel's eyes turned to her.

"There's a bigger picture here. You two should show me some respect. I dragged you out of hell. I can throw you back in." He watched as Mel backed up behind Dean in fear and he could tell Dean didn't like what he said either.

Dean blinked and Cas was gone. He turned to see if Mel was alright and she was gone too.

All of a sudden he jerked awake downstairs to see Sam walking past him and sit down on the couch.

"You alright?" Sam asked. "What's wrong, Dean?"

"So, you got no problem believing in God and angels?" Dean asked as he heard walking upstairs.

"No, not really." Sam retorted.

"So I guess that means you believe in the devil." Dean said.

"Why are you asking me all this?" Sam asked suspicious.

"No reason." Dean said as he got up and went upstairs.

He heard the shower running and a voice singing. A lot of people sucked at singing but Melissa was not one of them. He smiled as he walked into her bathroom and undressed. He snuck in behind her and felt her jump slightly when he hugged her from behind.

"Dean! You scared the hell out of me!" She said as she laughed and leaned into the hug.

"Maybe you should punish me." Dean said his eyes darkening with lust. Mel wanted to moan from the heated look he was giving her but instead she crashed her lips against his and the water ran cold by the time they were done.

They were toweling off when Dean brought up the night before. "Do you remember a conversation with a certain asshole angel?" He asked.

"Yes I do. I hate him so much, too." Mel said as she wrapped the towel around herself. "Why do you ask?"

"I just can't believe Lucifer, if he exists, would be trying to come up here." Dean said as he sat on the bed with his towel around his waist.

"I know what you mean. What business would Lucy have up here?" She said as she looked through her drawers.

Dean's head twitched to the side. "Lucy? You already have a nick name for him?" He saw her freeze. "Don't tell me he is actually real!"

Mel looked at him, tears in her eyes, and nodded. "He is real alright. He was my welcoming host to Hell."

Dean just stared at her in disbelief.

His girlfriend knew the devil personally?

**Author's note: Hey guys I'm so sorry for this update taking so long. I left what I needed at school over my break and never had the chance to come back and get it! But I am back now and in full writing mode! And remember: The more reviews, the more I'll write!**

**DeansLover1918**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Dean still hadn't talked to her about what they shared a couple weeks ago. It was mostly due to Sammy always being around.

When he woke up from the past and trying to save his mom, Cas told him that if he didn't stop his brother, the angels would. Dean quickly woke Mel up and they left to go find him. They quickly went to Waterman Road like Castiel told them to and snuck up to a window of the old building.

"What's going on?" Mel asked still sleepy.

"I don't know, Mel, but we are about to find out." Dean said as they saw Sam walk up to a man who was obviously possessed. They heard him talking to Sam and there was an unknown woman there.

"And yet here you are slutting around with some demon." The man said. Was he serious? Was Sam sleeping with a demon? "Tell me about those months without your brother. Tell me about all the things that you and this demon bitch do in the dark. Huh? Tell me, hero."

Mel and Dean watched as Sam raised his hand. Mel watched in horror as while Sam was doing it, the demon was being expelled from the man. What the hell? What happened to Sam while she was gone. What happened while Dean was gone? She looked at Dean and could see he had no idea this was going on either. She hadn't seen him that pissed in a good long while.

She and Dean walked in as Sam and the mystery woman were escorting the now demon free man out of the building.

"So," Dean started. "Anything you wanna tell me, Sam?"

"Dean, hold on, okay? Just let me…" Sam started.

"You gonna say, 'Let me explain'?" Dean asked and Sam still hadn't seen Mel who was hiding behind Dean. "You gonna explain this? How about this, why don't you start with who she is and what the hell is she doing here?"

He looked at the woman who just smiled at him.

"Good to see you again, Dean." She said, the smirk never leaving her face.

Dean was taken aback with recognition. "Ruby?" He looked at Sam. "Is that Ruby?" Sam didn't answer and all of a sudden Dean attacked Ruby.

"Dean!" Mel shouted alerting Sam to her presence.

"Mel?" He asked looking even more ridden with guilt. He turned to see Dean trying to stab this woman with a knife and took it away from him.

"Dean, don't kill a human!" Mel shouted.

"It's not a human!" Dean shouted back. "It's a damn demon!" Mel's eyes widened as she looked at Sam with a new light. Dean threw Sam against a wall giving Ruby time to pin him against the grating against the wall.

Mel stepped into action and took the knife away from Sam, walked up behind her and put it right against her throat.

"I dare you to hurt him, bitch." Mel said with venom leaking out of every pore. "Hurt him I swear!"

The woman named Ruby let Dean go and just looked at Mel. "So who the hell are you?"

"I should be asking you the same question." Mel said getting in Ruby's face.

Sam walked up and got in between them. He tried to get Mel's arm but she all but leaped away from him. "Don't touch me you lying bastard!" She screamed. "What the hell was that? Huh?" He looked down at the floor. "That wasn't human what you just did! What the hell are you?"

"Mel, please listen to me. I am human. I am Sam Winchester." Sam tried to explain to her.

"You are not my Sam! You disgust me you piece of filth!" Mel screamed back and stormed out in tears.

Dean just stared Sam down as Mel left. He was going to tell her and now this was the one thing that would tear them apart. He looked back at Ruby. "Well aren't you an obedient little bitch?"

"Ruby." Sam said to get her attention. "Ruby. He's hurt. Go."

Dean watched her help the injured man up. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"The ER. Unless you wanna go another round first." She taunted.

Dean just looked back at Sam.

"Dean," Sam pleaded but Dean walked away. He drove him and Mel to the motel.

"What the hell was that Dean?" Mel asked hoping he would say he didn't know.

"Sam… has psychic abilities. The yellow eyed demon that killed our mom put demon blood in him as a child. It started with visions not long after you died." He said not taking his eyes off the road.

"You knew?" She almost screeched. "You knew and you didn't tell me?"

"I haven't really had the time and I was gonna wait until we had time to talk about everything that happened." Dean said.

"Like what? Like the fact that you aren't with your dad hunting like you should be?" He looked at her. "Oh yes I've noticed that. Where is John now? Where did you let his reckless ass go to now?"

"Dad is dead! Not even a year after you! The demon killed him!" Dean yelled and Mel took in a sharp breath.

"I'm sorry but that still doesn't change the fact that you have kept this from me!" She shouted back.

"I should have told you and I'm sorry I didn't." Dean said as they pulled up. Mel just got out of the car and found Sam already there in the doorway.

"How the hell did you get back so fast?" She asked. "Do you have demonic super speed too?"

"No I hitch hiked and made it back before you guys." Sam said. "Mel, can we talk?"

"Oh hell no to that suggestion, demon boy." She said as she started slamming clothes into a bag. "Neither one of you gets to talk to me for as long as I want it to stay that way."

Dean walked in right as she said that. "Wait, you're just gonna leave us?"

"Yes, I am because I can't room with a liar, which would be you Dean, or a man who does a demon's bidding, that, Sam would be you." She said as she walked outside to the bus stop with Dean right on her heels. Sam just stayed behind.

"You can't go." Dean said as he followed her.

"Why the hell not?" She said as she kept walking.

Dean sped up and cut her off. "Because we need you here… I need you."

Her eyes softened for a split second. "If you need me so bad, why would you lie to me and keep this from me?"

"I didn't know he was using his powers until tonight, Mel! I swear. Please stay, for me. Not for Sam. To hell with Sam right now. Just stay with me." He pleaded.

"What else have you not told me?" She asked. "What else have you lied to me about? Huh? Are you sleeping with a demon too?"

"No, just other women…" He said before he could stop himself. He saw the hurt come into her eyes. "It's not what you think. Not for the reason you think."

"And what is it? Huh? Did you just use my death as a key to get a sympathy fuck?" He flinched as she cursed at him. She never did that. Not once in their entire life together had she done that.

"No. I used them to make the sadness and pain go away even if for just a short period of time!" Dean confessed and Mel took a step back. "The pain was killing me. It was suffocating me. You were gone and I couldn't do a damn thing to change that! I watched you die right in my arms and I couldn't bring you back. It was my way of coping with the pain. It was like a drug that made the pain go away until about the middle of it when I saw your face smiling at me instead of theirs." He turned away from her to compose himself.

Mel walked up to him. "What are you saying, Dean?"

"I'm saying that it was killing me that I failed you. It was killing me that I couldn't save the one person who I could ever let my guard down around. It was killing me that the woman I loved was dead because I arrived one minute too late." He said with tears pouring down his face. "I'm sorry I kept this from you. I was really going to tell you when I had time to tell you everything. I still will tell you everything if you stay with me."

Mel nodded. "I'll stay but not in your bed and not with Sam. I'll be in my own room." She almost smiled at his eager nod as she walked away. "Oh and Winchester," She said as she turned back around. "Don't introduce me as your girlfriend anymore. Because I am no longer yours." She added as she walked to the boys' room.

Sam stood up. "Mel…" He said but stopped when she glared at him.

"It's Melissa to you, demon boy." She snarled as she walked up to him and punched him with a right hook. She then walked out not even looking at Dean. She just needed some air.

Dean composed himself before walking in and packing his own stuff. He picked up his bag and started stuffing his stuff in it.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asked. "Are you leaving?" He asked when he got no answer.

"You don't need me." Dean said still packing. "You and Ruby go fight demons."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Now hold on, Dean. Come on, man." He turned around and was met with Dean's fist. "You satisfied?" He met Dean's fist again. "Obviously not."

"You bastard." Dean said.

"What?" Sam asked knowing it wasn't just about him.

"She left me. She is staying to hunt but she won't have anything to do with me because I was waiting to tell her about your demon blood issues until I had ample time to tell her. But, no, she found out tonight when you snuck to that damn warehouse with Ruby the Slut! Are you happy now?" Dean yelled.

Sam just stood there taking all the information in.

"Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal? From human?" Dean said with hatred in his eyes.

"I'm just exorcising demons." Sam said.

"With your mind!" Dean yelled. "What else can you do?"

"I can send them back to hell." Sam said defending his side. "It only works with demons and that's it."

Dean nodded and grabbed Sam's collar just as Mel came back inside.

"What else can you do?" He said.

"What the hell?" Mel asked as she tried to get between the brothers.

"I told you!" Sam said pushing Dean off of him. Mel stood in between them for good measure.

"And I have every reason in the world to believe that." Dean said.

"Look I should have said something." Sam said. "I'm sorry, Dean. I am. But try to see the other side here."

"The other side?" Dean and Mel asked.

"I'm pulling demons out of innocent people…" Sam started.

"Use the knife!" Dean screamed at Sam's face.

"The knife kills the victim!" Sam yelled right back. "What I do, most of them survive. Look, I've saved more people in the last five months than we save in a year."

Dean shook his head. "Is that what Ruby wants you to think? Kind of like the way she tricked you into using your powers? Slippery slope, brother. Just wait and see. Because it's gonna get darker and darker. And God knows where it ends."

"I'm not gonna let it get that far." Sam said.

"It's already gone too far, Sam." Mel said as she walked up to the boys again. "It's already gone too far."

"I'm in control!" Sam said turning on Mel.

Dean nodded then knocked a lamp across the room. He walked close to Mel and she jumped back from him. He paused to look at her with an apology look but then turned back to Sam.

"She is right. It's already gone too far, Sam. If I didn't know you, I would wanna hunt you. And so would other hunters." Dean said in a softer but still stern voice.

"You were gone." Sam started.

"That's not an excuse, Sam!" Mel said.

"You were gone too!" He raised his voice at her.

"That's still not a damn excuse!" Mel yelled back.

"Well it's mine so get over it!" Sam continued.

"Hey!" Dean yelled. "Don't talk to her like that when she is right!"

"Anyways, you were gone. I was here. I had to keep on fighting without you. And what I'm doing… it works." Sam said with tears.

Dean sucked in a breath before continuing. "Well, tell me, if it's so terrific, then why did you lie about it to me?" Sam looked down at the floor. "Why did an angel tell me to stop you?" Sam looked at him with surprise.

"What?" He asked.

"Cas said that if I don't stop you, he will. See what that means, Sam? That means that God doesn't want you doing this. So are you just gonna stand there and tell me that everything is all good?" Everyone was in tears by this point.

Sam's phone rang breaking the silence. Mel walked over to Dean cautiously and put a hand on his arm. He put his hand on top of hers and just looked down at her.

"Hello?" Sam said as he answered the phone. "Hey, Travis. Yeah, hey. It's good to hear your voice too, yeah. Look, it's not really a good time right now." He paused. "Yeah, okay. Well, just give me the details, and…" He trailed off and Dean looked back down at Mel.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry I scared you." Dean said.

"It's ok." Mel assured him. She knew he was hurting right now. Hell she was hurting too. When she looked into his eyes she knew he hadn't meant to keep this from her. When she saw the pain in his eyes, he was instantly forgiven. Only he had that power over her emotions. "We'll talk later, ok?" She whispered. Dean simply nodded, brought her hand up to his mouth, and gently kissed it twice. Mel smiled at him in return.

They both looked up as Sam hung the phone up. "We gotta go." He said and they all grabbed their stuff and went to the car. Dean noticed how quiet Mel was on the way to look for a Jack Montgomery. He would catch her eyes every now and then in the rear view mirror and she would smile at him.

Sam was the one that broke the silence after Dean was done telling him where he had gone to. "I can't believe it. Mom? A hunter?"

Dean nodded and smiled. "I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't seen it myself. Boy, that woman could kick some ass. I mean, she almost took me down."

Sam looked at Dean. "How'd she look? I mean, was she happy?"

"Yeah." Dean replied. "She was awesome. You know, funny and smart. So hopeful. You know, Dad too. Until of course…" He didn't finish the sentence before Sam sighed and looked out the window. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just, our parents, and now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered. And for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?" He heard movement in the back seat and knew Mel was uncomfortable with the subject.

Dean looked at him. "Sam, I never said anything about demon blood. You knew about that?" Dean asked.

"Yeah for about a year." Sam replied.

Dean turned back to the road. "A whole year."

"Dean, not now." Mel said but he ignored her like usual.

"Look, I should've told you. I'm sorry." Sam said.

"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam." Dean said.

"Dean!" Mel snapped. He ignored her, again.

"But whatever. You don't wanna tell me, you don't have to. It's fine." Dean continued.

"Dean…" Sam said. Dean wouldn't even look at him. "Whatever." They all were quiet again as Dean sped up until they parked by the house Jack Montgomery lived in. They sat there for a while until he came to the kitchen.

"You sure that's him?" Dean asked while looking through binoculars.

"Only Jack Montgomery in town." Sam replied looking through a second set.

"Come on, guys." Mel said. "I haven't had a turn yet." She reached for Dean's.

"These don't come without some… persuasion." He joked while tugging them out of her reach.

"Oh I'll persuade you alright. I'll throw you out of this car and into the mud!" She threatened.

"I love it when you talk dirty to me!" He could hear Sam's eye roll. "And we're looking for…?" He asked Sam.

"Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird." Sam replied.

"Weird? Well, I've seen big weird, little weird, weir d with crazy on top. But this guy… come on this guy is boring." Dean said.

"I don't know, Dean. Travis seemed pretty sure." Sam retorted and they both looked through the binoculars at Jack through the kitchen window. He then proceeded to eat raw meat with a hunger that surprised even Dean. "I'd say that qualifies as weird."

Dean nodded and pulled his cell phone out. Not two minutes later, Mel got a text on a new one she got. Saying: _We will talk later I promise. Please reconsider leaving me. This is killing me. We will talk at the motel. Dean_

Mel smiled at that message and put her phone back up. She caught Dean's eyes in the rear view and nodded to him. He gave a short nod to her as they pulled off to go to the motel.

Dean unlocked the door to find a man in the room already. Well, there went him and Mel's talk. He smiled anyway. "Travis!" He turned to Sam. "See, Sam. Told you we should've hid the beer."

The old man got up. "Smart ass. Get over here." He hugged Dean. "Good to see you." He turned to Sam. "Good to see you." He turned to Mel and did a double take. "Holy shit if it ain't John Winchester's prized beautiful adopted daughter?"

Mel smiled and hugged him. "Missed you too, Travis."

Travis looked at Sam again. "Man, you got tall, kid. How long has it been?"

Sam shrugged. "Gotta be ten years." Sam replied.

Travis shook his head. "Are you still a…? What was it? A mathlete?"

Sam laughed. "No."

"Yep, he sure is." Dean said.

"It's been too long, guys. I mean look at you. Grown men… and woman." He added just for Mel. "John would have been damn proud of you, sticking together like this."

"Yeah." Dean said. "No, we're thick as thieves. Nothing more important than family." He said.

Travis looked to Mel. "So word around town is that you have a boyfriend. How in the hell did he get past these two brothers?"

Mel just smiled. "Well I don't know about boyfriend but I've had my eye on this one man. He is so handsome if not absolutely stupid at times." She laughed at the look on Dean's face.

"Oh, my god. You two?" Travis said looking between them.

Mel nodded and grabbed Dean's hand.

Travis just shook his head. "Sorry I'm late for the dance." He said as they go back to the table he was sitting at when they walked in. "Thanks for helping out an old man. I'm a little short-handed." He held up his cast to make the joke and they all laughed. "So, you track down Montgomery?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, we found him at his home."

"And?" Travis asked.

"He had a hell of a case of the munchies." Dean said. "Topped off with a burger that he forgot to cook." He saw Mel shudder.

Travis nodded. "That's him, all right."

Mel looked confused. "What's him?"

"Boys, and girl, we got a Rougarou on our hands." Travis said.

"What the hell?" Mel asked.

"A Rougarou?" Dean asked not believing what he was hearing. "Is that made-up? That sounds made-up."

"They're mean, nasty little suckers." Travis explained. "Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works."

Dean shook his head. "Well that ain't this guy. He was wearing a cell phone on his belt."

"He'll turn ugly soon enough." Travis said. "They start out human for all intents and purposes."

"So what? Do they go through some kind of metamorphosis?" Mel asked intrigued.

"Yep." Travis confirmed. "Like a maggot turning into a blowfly." He went on to describe what they do and how they become one from a human.

"How'd you find this guy if he is a walking, talking human?" Dean asked.

"It runs in his family." Travis said and Mel's eyes widened.

"You mean…" Mel started.

"I killed his daddy back in '78. Son of a bitch mangled eight bodies before I put him down. Guy used to be a dentist. Cadillac. Trophy wife. Little did I know, pregnant trophy wife. She put the boy up for adoption and by the time I found out, he was long gone, lost in the system." Travis continued.

"You mean to tell me you couldn't find someone?" Sam asked in disbelief.

Travis shook his head. "I'm not sure I wanted to. The idea of hunting down some poor kid. I don't think I'd had the heart." Mel nodded. "No. I wanted to wait. Make damn sure I had the right man. Apparently I do." He finished his beer then headed off to his own room for a few minutes and Sam left to do some research.

Dean looked up at Mel who walked over to him.

"Mel, I'm so…" Dean started before he was cut off with a searing kiss from Mel. He eagerly kissed back, pulling her to straddle his lap. The kiss became more urgent. Dean's hand hooked around the back of Mel's neck pulling her closer and Mel's arms went around Dean's neck pulling him closer. Mel pulled back when they needed air and looked into his eyes.

"Dean Winchester, you don't have to explain anything to me." She said. "I understand why you wanted to wait to tell me. I completely understand. It just caught me off guard when I saw Sammy do that."

"You know I would never hurt you, Mel. That's the last thing I would ever do. I love you more than my own life and I live to make you happy." He said with a conviction that brought tears to her eyes. "I know I don't deserve it, but can you please give me another chance?"

"Where have I heard this speech before?" Mel asked as they both laughed.

"Is that a yes?" Dean asked as he unbuttoned her jeans.

"I don't know…" She said. "Should it be… oh!" She gasped as his talented fingers found her sensitive spot.

"Personally I think it should be. But I wanna hear it from you." He said as he unbuttoned his own jeans while Mel ripped her own jeans off to reveal see through lace boy short underwear. Dean groaned before leaning down and sliding them down with his teeth. When they were off, he sat back in the chair and brought her onto his lap. "I wanna hear you say it." He said an instant before he impaled her on himself.

He heard Mel cry out and swore it was the sexiest sound he had ever heard. He then started thrusting as hard and fast as he could while she rode him thrust for thrust.

Not two minutes later they were covered in sweat and felt themselves getting close.

"I wanna hear you say it." Dean repeated as he found her sensitive spot with his hand.

Mel cried out even louder. "Yes, Dean. Oh, god yes."

"I can't hear you." He said as he felt her begin to climax on him.

"Yes!" She practically screamed as she came with him not far after. When they came down from their high, she looked him in the eye. "Yes, Dean Winchester." She said before kissing him softly. They got up and dressed themselves not a moment too soon because a knock came at the door.

"Just a moment." Mel called before stopping Dean. "I love you." She said.

He leaned down and kissed her softly again. "I love you too." He replied before going to get the door. It was Travis with various supplies.

"Let's get crackin, kids." He said and they sat down and he explained what they had to do.

"So, fire huh?" Dean asked as they made homemade flame throwers.

Travis nodded. "The only way I found to kill these bastards, deep fry them."

Mel just shook her head. "Well, that's gonna be horrible." She said and Dean nodded.

"Is that what you did to Jack's dad?" Dean asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"Uh-huh." Travis confirmed.

They all looked up as Sam walked in. He looked at the homemade flame throwers and sighed. "Not wasting any time are you?"

"None to waste." Travis replied as they kept working. "This guy hulks out; we won't be finding bodies, just remains."

"Well, what if he doesn't hulk out?" Sam asked and Mel looked up. She would give anything not to torch a human being. "I did a little homework. I've been checking out the lore on Rougarous."

"What, my 30 years of experience not good enough for you?" Travis asked offended and Mel prepared for an argument.

"What? No. No, I just wanted to be prepared." Sam rebutted. "I mean, not that you didn't…"

"Sam loves research." Dean butted in. "He does. He keeps it under his mattress right next to his K.Y." Mel rolled her eyes. "It's a sickness. It is."

"Everything you've said checked out, of course." Sam started. "But, I found some interesting stories about people who have this Rougarou gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step."

"Really?" Dean and Mel asked at the same time. Mel cheered internally.

"See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully transform." Sam explained more enthusiastic.

"Go vegan, stay human?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "Basically. Or, in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not…"

"Long pig!" Mel said and they just looked at her. "What? I know what it means!"

Sam smiled. "Right." They all looked at Travis who seemed offended still.

"Good on you for the due diligence, Sam." He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "But those are fairy tales."

"Obviously not if there are accounts of them!" Mel put in and Dean just looked at her.

"The fact is," Travis ignored her. "Every Rougarou I ever saw or heard of, took that bite." He poured himself some coffee.

"Everyone YOU saw or heard of." Mel said. "But there are others."

"That doesn't mean that Jack will." Sam said.

"So what do we do? Sit and hope, and wait for a body count?" Travis asked.

"No, we talk to him. Explain what's happening." Sam said.

"That way he can fight it." Mel said.

Travis just laughed. "Fight it? Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry? I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah." Mel just looked down at the floor.

"Right then." Travis continued. "So somebody slaps a big, juicy sirloin in front of you, you walking away?" Dean and Sam look at each other and Mel just looks at the floor. "That's what we are to him now. Meat on legs. I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy. But it's pure base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat. You think he can stop himself because he's nice?"

"I don't know." Sam interrupted. "We're not gonna kill him unless he does something to get killed for." He walks out of the room.

Travis looks after him. "What's up with your brother?"

"You!" Mel said as she walked out after him.

"And your girl." Travis added.

"Don't get me started." Dean said but he didn't know Mel had heard him before she shut the door. He followed Mel out the door to talk to her. "What was that back there?" He asked when he caught up to her. When she wouldn't turn around, he cut her off and was taken aback when he saw tears.

"What was that?" She mimicked. "That was me pissed off from being embarrassed by an asshole hunter who thinks he knows everything!" She almost yelled. "He treated me and Sam like we were dumb, but me especially. I'm not stupid and I can hunt just as well, if not better, than his sorry ass. The worst part is you just stood there and let him do it!"

"Mel…" Dean started.

"I'm not done!" She said interrupting him. "Then when I'm shutting the door you say don't get you started on what's wrong with us? What is wrong with me, Dean? Why would you say that? What the hell is so wrong with me that you have to say that to someone we haven't seen in near a decade?"

Dean just looked at her with a guilty look. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He had meant that comment towards Sammy but she would never believe him if he said it so he just kept quiet.

"It's nice to know my supposed 'boyfriend' thinks so highly of me." She said before stalking off down the hallway. "Have a nice hunt. I'll just stay here." She slammed the door to her separate room.

Dean just stood there in the hallway looking where she just was. What the hell is wrong with him? He promised not to hurt her and here he had done just that. He left her alone to let her calm down and cool off. They would talk about this later.

A little while later, there was a knock on Mel's door. When she looked through the peep-hole, she saw Sam standing there with chocolate in his hands.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you would be the perfect boyfriend?" She joked as she let him in.

Sam just chuckled before turning serious. "Mel, I just wanted to say I'm so sorry for the whole powers thing. I didn't want you to find out about it like that."

"No, you didn't want me to find out at all." Mel countered.

Sam looked very uncomfortable.

"Sam, I should be the one apologizing. I should never have said those things." Mel said as she munched on her favorite chocolate, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups©.

"It's ok. I understand why you did." Sam said as he sat beside her. "I heard you and Dean fighting… again."

Mel nodded. "Why do I stay, Sammy?" She asked as tears threatened to fall again. "He says he loves me then he goes and pulls this shit. I don't know what to do."

"He does love you, Mel." Sam said. "He just has a hard time showing it because if he shows it, he thinks it looks like weakness."

Mel nodded. "Why did I fall for the emotionless brother?" She asked and they both laughed.

"Probably because you were always attached to him." Sam said and Mel nodded. "Give him time, Mel. He'll come around."

"He's not getting off the hook that easy!" Mel said and they laughed again. A knock came at the door. "Come in!" She said and her smile disappeared when she saw it was Dean.

"Hey, we gotta go, Sam." He said and gave Mel a small smile that she wouldn't return and just looked at the floor. He hated when she did this. It was his fault, though, and he knew it. He walked up and sat beside her when Sam left and went to the car. "For what it's worth," He started. "I did talk to Travis and he did get a little pissed when I said you were most likely a better hunter than him. I did notice what he said to you and how he said it. I was just going to wait until you guys left to confront him. And about the whole 'what's wrong with you' thing? There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are the best hunter I have ever seen. He is just a chauvinistic pig. Don't let it get to you, ok?"

Mel nodded and looked up at him.

"Ok." Dean finished, kissed her forehead, and walked to the door. "We'll be back a little later." He said before leaving.

Later that night, Mel got a phone call from Dean.

"Mel, we need you, please meet us outside and get ready to jump in!" He said before hanging up.

Mel just looked at her phone, grabbed her weapons and ran down to the lobby. When the boys got there, she leaped into the car and they were off to Jack's house.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"He almost went dark side tonight and we need to get to him before his gene does." Dean said.

When they pulled up, Mel noticed Travis's truck and they all sprinted to the house. They all cautiously walked in holding the flame throwers up. They stopped when they saw a huge puddle of blood on the carpet in the living room.

"Gross!" Mel whispered to herself.

They quietly tiptoed around and saw where something was dragged and it had lost a lot of blood. Around the corner, they found slight remains.

"Oh, God." Dean said. "Think that's Travis?"

"What's left of him." Sam said. Mel covered her mouth to keep from losing anything in her stomach. "Guess you were right about Jack." Sam said before something hit Dean. "Dean!"

Mel watched as Jack attacked Sam next. She ran forward, pulled a knife, and tackled him off of Sam.

"Come get me you son of a bitch!" She yelled as he hit her, sending her flying into a wall. She flung herself back at him and sliced into his stomach with the knife slightly before he punched her in her temple, knocking her unconscious.

When she came to, she was tied to a chair and Dean was on the glass coffee table unconscious. She gasped when she saw blood. She saw Jack next to Dean crying and moaning. She looked up when she heard the closet door moving but not opening.

"Dean?" She heard the muted voice of Sam.

"Dean can't come to the phone right now." Jack said and Mel struggled against the ropes holding her.

"Jack!" Sam shouted. "You hurt him and I swear to God…"

"Calm down!" Jack shouted back. "Your brother's alive." He looked up at Mel. "So is the girl you brought with you. But not if you don't calm down!"

Sam sighed with slight relief. Mel and Dean were alive, but for God knows how long. "All right. Jack, listen. Open the door. We can figure this out, okay?"

"Oh, we'll have ourselves a little brainstorming session." Jack replied with sarcasm.

"Jack, please." Mel pleaded. "Don't do this."

He looked at her. "I don't think so. After what you did?"

Mel looked confused and Sam was confused. "What? What are you talking about?" He asked.

"You send your friend here. He tried to burn my wife alive!" Jack said.

"We didn't send him." Mel said as she tried to loosen the ropes but they just tightened around her wrists.

"What?" Sam asked. "Why?"

Mel saw Jack hesitate before saying, "He didn't say. I guess psychopaths don't know how to explain themselves."

"Listen to me," Sam said. "You gotta believe me." Mel whimpered when she saw Jack start creeping towards Dean looking very hungry. "My brother, Mel, and I would never have hurt her, okay?"

Mel struggled more against her ropes when she saw him taste Dean's blood. "Get away from him!" She said.

"Oh, God. I'm so hungry." Jack said.

"Jack, don't do this." Mel pleaded tears flowing down her cheeks. She was so scared. She didn't want to watch Dean die.

"I can't ever see my family again." Jack said. "You three and your friend made me into this!"

"No one is making you kill us!" Sam said and Mel nodded.

"You have a choice, Jack." Mel said tears still flowing.

"Listen to me." Sam said. "You got this dark pit inside you, I know. Believe me, I know. But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster."

Mel just looked at Jack.

"Have you seen me lately?" Jack asked while laughing.

"It doesn't matter what you are." Mel said. "It only matters what you do. Please let us go! It's your choice." She saw Jack get hungrier and move towards Dean. "No! Dean!" She screamed. "Don't you touch him you filthy bastard!" She saw Dean moving. He was waking up!

Just then, Sam burst through the closet door. "Jack!" He screamed before dousing the thing in flames.

Dean looked up just in time to watch his brother deep fry their first Rougarou. They looked at each other for a moment before Sam rushed over to Melissa.

"You ok?" He asked her and Dean was right by his side. They cut her ropes.

She launched herself into Dean's arms. He held her to him tightly and picked her up to get them out of the house.

The ride back was very quiet. Dean looked over at Sammy who looked guilty.

"You did the right thing, you know. That guy was a monster. There was no going back." Sam just looked down. Mel leaned forward a little bit. "I wanna tell you I'm sorry. I've been kind of hard on you lately."

"Don't worry about it, Dean." Sam said with a little bit of annoyance in his voice.

Dean scoffed. "It's just that your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me." Mel looked at Dean with a sympathizing expression.

"Look if it's all the same, I'd really rather not talk about it." Sam said.

Dean laughed. "What? You don't wanna talk? You?"

"There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand."

"Well, why don't you try?" Dean asked.

"Let's not fight guys." Mel said.

"I can't make you guys understand." Sam said. "Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you, it's in me. It's just something I gotta deal with."

"Not alone." Dean said and Mel smiled at him.

Sam sighed. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. These powers, it's playing with fire. I'm done with them." Mel looked over at Sam surprised. "I'm done with everything." Dean looked over surprised too.

"Really?" Dean asked. "Well, that's a relief. Thank you."

Sam scoffed. "Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you, the angels, or for anybody. This is my choice."

The brothers looked forward again and kept driving. At the next town, Dean pulled over at a motel and got them a room.

Mel crashed on a bed as soon as she walked in. Sam went out to get something to eat. Dean sat at a table watching Mel falling asleep. He hoped Sam was done because if it gets any worse, it won't be only angels out to get them. It'll be hunters too.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They had been on a few hunts since that night they had to do an "intervention", if that's what you would call it, with Sam. They were about to go on another one after seeing Ruby again until Mel woke up the next morning and didn't know where she was. She wasn't in the hotel room and Dean wasn't beside her.

She sat up scared until she saw Castiel. "What the hell, Cas?"

He slowly turned to look at her. "I'm sorry for that. There is someone we need you to save."

"What are you talking about? We were about to go get someone."

"Yes I know and you need to help save her because she is very important to us." He said.

Mel woke up with a start back in the hotel room with Dean's arm wrapped around her. When she woke, his arm instinctively tightened around her causing her to smile to herself. She lay back down and snuggled into his warmth.

"Why do you move so damn much?" He asked with a slight smile on his face.

"Because I just want to be close to the hottest body on earth." She said kissing his neck. That woke Dean up.

"Oh, really? I was under the impression that I was the hottest body." He said with a cocky attitude.

"Now that, Winchester, is the attitude that cost a damn good lay." She teased as she headed towards the bathroom. She didn't have time to shut the door before Dean forced his way in and started the shower. "What do you think you are doing?" She said in between laughs.

"I'm gonna get that damn good lay you keep referring to." Dean said wiggling his eye brows. Mel laughed again but was cut off by Dean's lips. Clothes were all but torn trying to get them off and somehow they managed to not wake Sammy up.

When they came out sometime later, it was Sammy's turn in the shower. "Please tell me there is hot water left." He pleaded with Mel.

"Yes, Sammy. I made sure we left you hot water." She said smiling as he shut the door.

The three headed off again in search of the unknown. Mel had been very silent lately and she thought he hadn't noticed. Whenever Hell had been mentioned lately she clammed up but tried not to show it. Tonight for some odd reason was one of her quiet nights. Ever since their "fun time" in the shower she had been dead silent. Most of the car ride was silent with Dean looking back at Mel to see a few tears fall but she stopped them before she thought anyone else noticed. That was his biggest fear: her remembering. He didn't want her to remember Hell and he hoped she didn't remember her whole time there.

"Let me see the missing person's report," Sam says into his phone that he had been on for a few minutes now. Mel had fallen asleep and was going in and out of a fitful sleep. "Great, okay thanks." He says as he hung up. "Well, Anna Milton is definitely real."

Dean shook his head. "Don't mean the case is real. And this hospital is a three day drive."

"We have driven farther for less." Sam pointed out. Dean shook his head. "If you have something to say, say it."

"All I'm saying is this sucks!" Dean said.

"You're just pissed because it was Ruby that threw us the tip." Sam snapped and at this, Mel fully woke up. "You're not pissed because we are going after the girl."

"Right. 'Cause as far as you're concerned, that hell-bitch is practically family. Boy, something major must have happened while I was downstairs because I come back and you're all BFF with a demon." Dean snapped.

"I've told you. She helped me go after Lillith." Sam said.

"But, Sam, she is a demon!" Mel said. "You can't seriously be backing her up! She is a filthy black-hearted demon!" She realized her voice was raised and tried to calm down.

"Mel is right. Real vivid details you're giving us!" Dean said.

"You guys wanna share stories?" Sam said. "Ok then how was hell? Don't spare me the details!"

Dean looked at Sam with a pissed off look and when he looked in the rear view he saw new tears in Mel's eyes as she looked at Sam with a look of pure agonizing pain. Dean looked back at Sam and wanted to bad to hit him. If he hadn't been driving, he probably would have. He then looks away and back at the road.

When they arrive to the town, they head straight to the hospital where Anna was being held.

"Of course," the doctor said to the three as they asked her about Anna. "I want to help in any way I can."

"The orderly has no recollection of Anna's escape?" Sam asked.

"Apparently she knocked him unconscious." The woman explained. "The blow caused some amnesia. He doesn't even remember going into her room."

Mel shook her head. "That's one hell of a right hook to knock out a man who had eighty pounds on her."

"We think she may have planned this. She may have hidden behind the door." She said pointed to the door.

"Right," Sam said. "So you said her illness was recent?"

The doctor nodded. "Two months ago, she was a happy, well-adjusted journalism major with lots of friends."

"So she just flipped?" Dean asked.

"Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia." The doctor replied. "Within weeks she was overtaken with delusions."

"Delusions of what?" Mel asked.

"She thought demons were everywhere." She replied again handing the three Anna's drawing pad.

"Huh, interesting." Dean said as he looked through the drawings.

"It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real." The lady said.

"That's just batty!" Dean said and Mel slightly knocked his back with her elbow. He turned the pages and saw one with the words "The Rising of the Witnesses" on it. They keep flipping and see a man's face surrounded by pumpkins. Above that picture is a man's face with the name "Samhain" with a bunch of pumpkins surrounding it.

"Samhain? That's revelations." Dean said.

The doctor looked at Dean. "Since when does the book of Revelations have Jack O' Lanterns?" She asked.

Mel shrugged. "It's a little known translation." She said.

"Ah," the doctor nodded. "Well, Anna's father was a Church deacon. When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones. She was convinced the Devil was about to rise up and end the world." She sighed. "I hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now."

"Don't worry," Mel said. "We will."

They all walk back to the car. "Maybe this girl is just batty guys." Mel said and both brothers turned to her.

"You are kidding right?" Dean asked. "There are too many coincidences for this not to be true. We go find her and try to find out what's going on with her and why the demons want her."

"Alright, where to next boys?" Mel asked turning to the brothers in the front seat.

"We go to her parents' house to see if she went there or if we can get to them before the demons hunting their daughter do." Dean said as he pulled away from the curb.

Dean walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered. "Maybe they're not home." He said.

Sam scoffed. "Both cars are in the driveway."

Mel instinctively reached to the gun tucked into the waist band of her pant suit to make sure it was still there for whenever she might need it.

"Mr. and Mrs. Milton?" Dean called into the house but only silence answered him.

"We are from the Sheriff's department." Sam called out.

"Anyone home?" Mel asked as she moved into the living room. "We just wanted to ask you a couple of questions…"

She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the parents dead on the floor with their throats slit and blood was everywhere.

Mel let out a sigh. "Damn!" she muttered under her breath.

Dean walked in behind her and rubbed her back to offer comfort at the sight. Sam walked up to the body and found a powdery substance next to the bodies. He leaned down and touched it and brought it up to his nose to smell.

"Sulphur," he said as he wiped it off his fingers. "Whoever this Anna girl is…"

"They want her." Dean finished for Sam. "And they aren't screwing around."

"Those poor people." Mel said. Dean rubbed her back once more before walking over to some mail sitting on the mantle.

"Alright, so, I'm 'Girl Interrupted' and I know the score of the apocalypse" he said as he picked up the mail. "I just busted out of the nut box," he continued as Sam walked over to a picture. "Possibly using super powers, by the way… Where do I go?"

Mel walked over to Sam and looked at the picture. "Babe, you got those sketches from Anna's notebook?" Mel asked as Dean looked up at her.

"Yeah." He said reaching into his jacket's inner pocket.

"Let me see them." Sam said as he reached for the sketches. "Check this out." He unfolded them and found one of a broken off window. He put it up next to the picture and realization hit the three.

"She was drawing the window of her church." Dean said matter-of-factly.

"Over and over again." Mel said as she looked between the brothers. "If you were religious, scared, and had demons on your ass where would you go?" She asked the two.

They then turned and walked out of the house and Mel bent behind some bushes and let loose the contents of her stomach.

Dean walked over to her. "You ok?"

She nodded. "I just have to get reused to all this death again. You forget how awful it looks." She said as she got into the car.

The next stop was the church but the ride was awkwardly silent.

The three searched the whole bottom of the church then decided to check the towers. They all drew their guns as they neared a door that was cracked open. They cautiously walked in with Dean subconsciously moving in front of Mel with Sam beside him. They looked around until Sam pointed to a stained glass window standing up on the floor with a figure behind it. Mel put her hand up and the boys watched her put her gun away and followed the example.

"Anna?" Sam called out to her. "We're not gonna hurt you."

"We're here to help." Mel said to reassure the frightened girl.

"My name is Sam. This is my brother Dean and this is Melissa." He said.

"Sam?" Anna asked. "Not Sam Winchester?"

"Uh, yeah." Sam said as the three looked flabbergasted at one another.

Anna walked out from behind the glass. "And you're Dean. THE Dean?" She asked and Mel rolled her eyes because she knew Dean's reaction.

Dean smiled a dorky smile. "Well, yeah… THE Dean I guess." He said. Sam rolled his eyes too.

"You're Melissa? Melissa Winchester?" Anna asked.

"No, my last name isn't Winchester." Mel said.

"That's what the angels call you, Melissa Winchester." Anna stated. "They talk about you all a lot." She looked at Mel and Dean. "You were in Hell but Castiel pulled you out. Some of them think you" She said looking at Dean, "can help save us." She looked over at Sam. "Some of them don't like you at all. They talk about you all the time lately. I feel like I know you three."

"So you talk to angels?" Dean asked confused.

"Oh, no way they probably don't even now I exist. I just kind of overhear them." Mel explained.

"Overhear them?" Mel and Sam asked at the same time before giving each other looks then eye rolls.

"Yes they talk and sometimes I just hear them in my head." Anna said.

"No wonder they thought you were schizo." Mel said.

"Can you hear them now?" Dean asked.

"Not right this second but a lot." Anna corrected. "And I can't shut them out. There's so many of them."

"So they lock you up with a case of the crazies and really you're tuning into Angel Radio?" Dean asked and Mel rolled her eyes at the wording.

"Yes." Mel said relief washing over her face. "Thank you."

"Anna," Sam said. "When did the voices start? Do you remember?"

"I can tell you exactly," Anna replied. "September 18th."

Mel's eyes widened and she looked at Dean and Sam. "The day we busted out." She said.

"The first words I heard, 'Dean Winchester is saved'." Anna said. Mel was taken aback. They didn't mention the fact that she got saved too?

Dean didn't notice. He just looked at Sam. "What do you think?"

"This is above my paygrade man." Sam replied looking at Mel. He didn't miss the fact that her being saved too wasn't mentioned.

"Well at least we know why the demons want you so bad." Dean said turning to Anna. "If they get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side is cooking. You're 1900-ANGEL." He joked and Mel glared at his flirtatiousness.

Anna smiled at the joke. "Hey, um, do you know if my parents are ok? I didn't go home. I was afraid."

No one got to break the bad news because a door slammed and they turned around to see Ruby running into the room.

"You got the girl?" She asked looking at Anna. "Good."

Anna backed up in fright. "Her face!"

Sam put his hand up to calm her. "It's alright she is here to help."

Dean looked at Ruby. "Don't be so sure."

Ruby ignored him. "We have to hurry." She said.

"Why?" Mel demanded.

"Because a demon is coming big time and we can fight later, Mel." Ruby said, both women glaring at each other.

Dean chose that moment to interject. "Well that is pretty convenient. You showing up right when we find the girl with some big wig on your tail?" He asked.

"I didn't bring him here." Ruby snarled. "You did. He followed you from the girl's house. We gotta go now."

They all paused to look at Sam who was pointing at a statue. It was the statue of Mary and her eyes were bleeding.

Ruby's face filled with fear. "It's too late." All three hunters turned to her. "He's here."

Sam, Mel, and Dean went into action with Sam grabbing Anna and putting her in a small closet. Both Dean and Mel prepared for the Demon to come through the door. Dean turned to Mel.

"Get into the closet with Anna." He said.

"No way in hell!" she fought back. "I'm fighting with you."

"No! I can't risk you getting hurt!" Dean snapped back.

"Well then you shouldn't have brought me along!" Mel yelled.

At that moment Sam walked right in between them with a flask in his hand and faced the door.

"No Sam, you gotta pull him right away." Ruby said and Mel turned to her.

"You're out of your fucking mind!" Mel yelled. "He can't do that!"

"Hold on a second." Dean said but Ruby interrupted.

"Now's not the time to belly-ache about Sam going darkside." Ruby snapped. "He does this thing, he exorcises that demon or we die." All of them turn to look at Sam.

Sam slowly turned around and put the flask of holy water back in his jacket pocket.

"Sam, no." Mel whispered and Dean put himself in front of her again. They all stood there anticipating when the door would open.

Finally the door smashed open and in walked a man in a suit. Sam raised his hand but it did nothing but make the demon cough.

"That tickles." He said with a chuckle. Mel and Dean look at one another and Mel could see the fear in Dean's eyes. "You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam." He said as he moved his hand and Sam went flying down the stairs. Dean pushed Mel further behind him.

Dean grabbed Ruby's knife and attacked but the demon blocked him.

"Hello again, Dean." The demon said and Mel knew exactly who he was. She froze in fear as memories flooded her brain of torture and pain. She couldn't even move when he threw Dean against a wall. She did notice, however, Ruby taking Anna out of the building.

She watched helplessly as the demon hit Dean over and over again before realizing Dean had dropped the knife.

"Don't you recognize me?" The demon asked Dean. "Oh I forgot, I'm wearing pediatrician." He finished as he kept hitting Dean. He didn't even notice Mel picking up the knife. "But we were so close, in Hell." Mel froze at that comment.

"Alistair" Dean said as he kept getting beaten in the face.

Mel felt a herself moving a second before plunging Ruby's knife into Alistair's chest. Sam was right behind her.

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that, Melissa." Alistair said as he threw her towards the window and she hit her face on the window sill.

Sam and Dean rushed to her and helped her up. The backed up and saw Alistair trying to pry the knife out of his chest. Seeing that the knife wasn't working, Sam and Dean grabbed one of Mel's arms and ran at the window. Mel ducked her head just in time to hear glass breaking and she felt the weightlessness of her falling to the ground.

Dean helped her up and they ran to the car as Alistair stared at them through the window.

Once they checked into a hotel, Sam got to work stitching up a cut on his arm while Mel and Dean were waiting for help. Dean walked over to Mel.

"That's a pretty bad cut," Dean said as he looked at the small gash above her eyebrow where the window sill met her face.

"I'm fine." She said. She tried to stand but got dizzy and fell into Dean's good side.

"No, you're not. Sit down and once my shoulder is taken care of I'll help you." He said walking over to Sam. "Don't fall asleep, Mel." He said not turning around. He walked over to the sink and washed all the blood out of his mouth while his bad arm wrapped itself around his waist. "Are you almost done?" He asked Sam.

Sam grunted at the last stitch in his arm. "I'm going as fast as I can." He replied.

"Yeah, cause you know I've got a dislocated shoulder over here and Mel has a small gash above her eye and I think she also has a slight concussion." Dean shot back.

"I'll pop it back when I'm finished and then we can see to Mel." Sam said as Dean took a chug of wine.

Sam tied the last stitch and reached for the bottle. "Give me that." He said his voice riddled with pain. He took the bottle and poured some on the cut and stifled a yell as the alcohol stung and disinfected the wound.

Dean looked down at Mel. "So you lost the magic knife, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah and I saved your ass, Winchester." She grumbled as she cradled her head in her hands. Her head was pounding and she did not need his shit at the moment.

"Who the hell was that demon?" Sam asked interrupting the fight before it began.

"No one good." Dean replied shaking his head. "We gotta find Anna."

"Ruby's got her." Sam said. "I'm sure she's ok." He walked over to Dean. "Alright, come on." He went behind Dean and put a hand on his shoulder and the other on his other arm for leverage. "On three… One…"

Mel heard Dean grunt as Sam pushed his shoulder back in and cringed at the popping noise. Dean walked for a minute trying to control the pain. When he looked at Mel, blood was running down to her chin at this point so he grabbed a towel and dampened it with warm water and got some gauze they had left over.

"Hey," He said as he sat down next to her. He rubbed her back to coax her to look up at him. "I gotta see that cut, Mel. It can't get infected."

She looked up and he saw the tears running down her face. "It's gonna hurt isn't it?" She asked.

"Like a bitch." Dean replied. He couldn't lie to her. He saw her close her eyes and when he put the warm cloth on the cut to slow the bleeding, she yelped and flinched harshly. "I'm so sorry." He whispered as he gently kissed the side of her forehead that wasn't covered in blood. "But I have to do this. After this we will give you some medicine for the headache."

"Can I go to sleep?" She asked. "Please?" she pleaded when she saw Dean about to argue. "My head hurts so badly and I'm so exhausted. I just need some sleep and I'll be ok. I promise." She finished.

"As long as you wake up." Dean said with the most sincerity in his eyes that she had ever seen.

"I will." She said as he applied the gauze to her face.

"It doesn't need stitches but it'll sting like a bitch until it heals." He said as he took the clean side of the cloth and cleaned the rest of her face off. "I knew I would find the sexiest woman in the world under here somewhere."

Mel laughed. "I'm not a child, Dean. You don't have to talk to me like that." She scolded.

"I wouldn't dare say that to a child." He laughed. He got up and saw Sam already had the Advil in his hand. "I wish I could give you something stronger but with that bump on your head, it's too risky. Take these and sleep." He said as she swallowed 2 Advil. He kissed her gently when she laid down and brought the blankets up to cover her. "I love you." He whispered.

Mel smiled but was too tired to reply but he got the message.

Dean turned back to Sam. "Are you sure about Ruby?" He asked. "Because I think it's just as likely she used us to find radio girl then brought that demon in to kill us. Hell he almost killed Mel."

"No." Sam said. "She took Anna to keep her safe."

"Yeah," Dean said putting ice on his shoulder. "Then why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?"

"Because that demon is probably watching us right now." Sam snapped getting defensive. "Waiting to follow us right back to Anna. That's why he let us go."

Dean chuckled. "You call this letting us go? Do I need to repeat myself about Mel?" He said looking at her already sleeping form across the room.

"Yeah, I do." Sam said keeping his defenses up. "Look, killing us would have been no problem to that thing. That's why for now we just gotta lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us."

"How's she gonna do that?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head and Dean sighed. "Why do you trust her so much?" He asked turning to face Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I told you already." Sam said.

Dean nodded and put the ice down. "You gotta do better than that. I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I mean I really wanna understand. I need to know more. I deserve to know more."

Sam nodded. "Because… she saved my life." He said before going into the story of how Ruby helped him while Dean was in Hell. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here." Sam finished.

There was a knock at the door and Dean saw Mel jerk awake.

"House keeping." A lady said from behind the door and Mel relaxed slightly.

"Not now." Dean said.

"Sir I've got clean towels." The lady said and Dean got this exasperated look on his face before getting up to get the door.

"Couldn't you just leave them at the door?" He said before the woman shoved him aside and entered the room and closed the blinds.

Dean walked over to Mel who he saw has scared of the unknown woman.

The woman walked to Sam and handed him a piece of paper. "I'm at this address."

Sam looked confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

She pointed to the bathroom. "Go now. Go for the bathroom window, don't stop, don't take your car, don't pass go. There are demons in the hallway and in the parking lot."

Sam looked shocked. "Ruby?"

"Ok yes so I'm possessing this maid for a hot minute. Kill me." She said.

"What about…" Mel started.

"Coma girl?" Ruby responded and Mel looked confused. "She is slowly rotting on the floor back at the cabin with Anna so I've gotta hurry back. See you when you get there. Go!" she snapped as she pointed to the bathroom again. She then left the room quickly and the three hunters just looked at each other.

Dean walked over to Mel. "Are you okay to ride with us? I don't want to leave you here by yourself." He asked.

Mel nodded. "Yes I'm fine. Just this headache is killing me." She said as she stood up on shaky legs. Dean helped her and grabbed the first aid bag they had and they headed out.

When they got to the cabin Mel was leaning heavily on Dean and he could tell how exhausted she was. They creeped around the side to a door and Ruby opened it.

"Glad you could make it." Ruby said.

"Yeah thanks." Sam said as he walked over to Anna. "Anna, are you ok?"

"Yeah." She replied nodding. "I think so. Ruby's not like other demons. She saved my life."

Sam nodded. Dean walked over after sitting Mel gently on a cot across the room. "Yeah I hear she does that." Dean said with sarcasm. He looked over at Ruby. "I guess I uh… you know?" He choked out.

Ruby crossed her arms. "What?"

"I guess I owe you for Sam." He said and Ruby looked like she was irritated. "I just… you know?"

Ruby looked exasperated. "Don't strain yourself."

Dean nodded. "Ok then. Is the moment over? Good because that was awkward." Mel let out a small laugh.

Anna looked at Sam. "Hey, Sam, do you think it would be safe to make a quick call? Just to tell my parents I'm ok? They must be completely freaked."

They all looked at each other not knowing what to say. Mel stood up and slowly made her way over to Anna who put her hand up to the bandage.

"I'm fine, Anna." Mel said. "Um…" She grunted trying to find the words to say.

"What?" Anna said.

"Anna, your parents…" Mel started.

"What about them?" Anna asked.

"I'm sorry…" Was all Mel could say.

"No, they're not…" Anna said.

"Anna, I'm sorry." Mel repeated and she watched as the girl burst into tears of grief.

"Why is this happening to me?" She yelled.

"I don't know." Mel said as she rubbed Anna's back. She looked at Dean who looked back at her with sad eyes.

All of a sudden Anna sat up and gasped with fear. "They're coming."

Mel's eyes filled with fear as the lights started flickering. And Dean went to stand by her because he knew she was in no condition to fight.

Dean quickly looked around. "Back room." Was all he said as he helped Mel up and they went to the room Dean pointed to. He put Mel in there who was too tired to object and they locked eyes for a second before Dean rushed back into the front room.

Dean grabbed guns and gave one to Sam as Ruby locked the door. Ruby ran over to their bag and looked through it.

"Where's the knife?" She demanded and the brothers just looked at each other.

"About that…" Dean said and Ruby stood up.

"You're kidding!" she exclaimed.

"Hey don't look at me!" Dean said looking at Sam.

Sam turned around. "Thanks a lot!"

Dean just smiled and turned around.

"Great… just peachy… impeccable time, guys, really." Ruby snapped as they all looked around.

The front door started rattling and they all gathered together ready for whatever was going to bust inside.

They all jumped when the door flew open and the lock was broken without what seemed like any effort. After a second, Castiel stormed into the room and was followed by Uriel.

"Please tell me you're here to help? We've been having demon issues all day." Dean asked as the angels glared at Ruby. Dean heard a door open and shut. He didn't have to turn around to know it was Mel.

"Cas?" She asked. "It's great that you are here. We have the girl you wanted. We saved her. You said she is important…" Mel asked and saw Dean turn to her with a questioning look.

Uriel ignored Mel. "I can see you have had problems. Want to explain why you have that stain in the room?"

Cas looked at all of them. "We're here for Anna."

"Here for her… like here for her?" Dean asked confused.

"Stop talking." Uriel snapped.

"Aren't you just a bucket of laughs?" Mel asked. "Stupid prick." She muttered but Uriel heard and had her against a wall in a blink.

"Don't push me, meat sack." Uriel said as his hand wrapped around her neck.

Dean pointed the gun at Uriel. "Put her down!"

Castiel walked up to Uriel and nodded. With a groan of frustration, Uriel let Mel down who coughed from the pressure on her throat.

"What do you want with Anna?" She asked from the floor.

"Are you gonna help her?" Sam asked.

"No." Castiel said. "She has to die."

**So the end of another chapter. I'm so sorry it took me this long to update. Hopefully I'll have more time now that work has slowed down and I'm signed up for next semester's classes. Don't yell at me! Just read and review! Review=Love!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello all again. This is, hopefully, your favorite author. I am just a little disappointed because I see lots of people at least looking at my story but not reviewing. Without those I cannot know what you think of it. I'm sorry to say this but until I get more reviews about how you think it is going, I will not update after this chapter. I need feedback. It tells me what I'm doing right and wrong. I love my readers and I love to hear what my readers think. Without further ado, here is the next installment! I don't own Supernatural, but I do own Melissa!**

Chapter 10

"She has to die." Castiel said.

Dean looked in shock as he turned to Mel. "This is what you 'saved' her for? This is your part?" He demanded.

"No! He told me she needed to be saved. I didn't know this was the end game!" Mel said back as she looked at Castiel. "You told me she needed to be saved!"

"Yes I said that." Castiel said. "I said it because she did need to be saved… from the demons so we could kill her."

Dean turned back to Castiel as Sam spoke. "You want Anna? Why?" Sam asked flabbergasted.

Uriel stepped forward. "Out of the way!"

"Woah woah woah… I know she is wire tapping your angel chats or whatever but that is no reason to gank her!" Dean said as Mel walked over to him.

"Don't worry," Uriel said, "I'll kill her gentle."

"You're some heartless sons of bitches you know that?" Dean asked.

"As a matter of fact, we are." Castiel said making Mel look at him with wide eyes.

"You bastard!" She yelled. "You manipulated me! You used me! You're no different from the devil himself!"

Uriel had her against the wall again in a second. "Told you if you pushed me you wouldn't like the consequences." He said as he continued to choke her.

"Put her down!" Castiel ordered. "Our orders are to keep her and the Winchesters alive. You know that."

Uriel once again dropped Mel but this time her coughing was a lot worse and when she finished she stayed on the floor, tears leaking from her eyes.

Castiel returned to the brothers. "As a matter of fact we are heartless… and?" He finished as Dean made sure Mel was ok.

"And?" Sam asked. "Anna's an innocent girl!"

Castiel shook his head. "She is far from innocent." He said making the hunters look at each other.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mel asked still on the floor.

"It means she is worse than this abomination Sam's been screwing now give us the girl." Uriel demanded.

Mel stood up slowly and took her place inbetween the brothers who were looking at each other. "Sorry." She said. "Get yourself another one."

Dean nodded. "Try J-date." He said as his hand tightened on his shot gun.

"Whose gonna stop us?" Uriel asked. "You three? Or this demon whore?" He asked grabbing Ruby and throwing her into the window across the room behind the angels. He then picked her up and pinned her against the wall. His hand lowered towards her face but Ruby kept fighting. Mel looked at Castiel with pleading eyes along with Sam but he had the same blank stare he always had.

Dean went into action. He went after Uriel to pistol whip him with his shot gun but the angel heard him and turned around. He grabbed the hunter's fist and punched him a couple of times.

Castiel walked up to Sam. "Cas… stop please." He pleaded but to no avail because Castiel just touched his forehead with his fingers and Sam was out like a light. Mel stayed back knowing she wasn't in any condition to fight. She watched the angel go to the back room and touch the door handle before a white light started lighting up the room and the angels flew back and disappeared.

Mel ran to Dean. "You ok?"

Dean nodded as Mel helped him up. "What the hell?" He asked and Mel shrugged. Dean walked over to Ruby and helped her up. They all walked over to Sam who was just waking up from his angel nap. Dean and Mel rushed to the door where Anna was and Dean yanked it open and the first thing Mel saw was blood. A lot of blood.

"Anna?" Dean asked as he saw all the blood. Mel's eyes widened at the symbols on the mirror.

They helped her into a chair because she looked faint from the loss of blood.

"Are they gone?" She asked as Mel tore her shirt and Dean grabbed a towel for bandages.

"Did you kill them?" Dean asked as he wrapped her arms.

"No." Anna replied. "I sent them away. Far away."

Mel looked up to see Ruby and Sam walking in and looking at the symbol before looking back to Anna. "Wanna tell us how?" She asked.

"It just popped into my head." Anna replied and they all looked at the symbol again. "I don't know how I did it. I just did."

Ruby continued to bandage Anna up as Mel was lying down on a cot in the next room with a cold rag on her head. Sam walked over to her.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yeah my head still hurts and I'm exhausted but I've been through worse." Mel said as she sat up. Sam put his hand on her back to help her. He got up and walked over to Dean.

"What do you think?" Dean asked him as he sat on the cot next to Mel.

"I think Anna's getting more interesting by the second." Sam replied and Mel nodded in agreement.

"I agree." Mel said.

"What did they mean by she's not innocent?" Dean asked and both Sam and Mel shrugged.

"It seems like they want her bad." Sam said. "And not just because the Angel Radio."

"That blood spill?" Mel said. "That's some serious shit!"

"Something's going on with her." Dean said and Mel nodded her eyes narrowing slightly. "Go see what you can find out."

"What are you going to do?" Sam asked.

"Anna may have sent the angels to the outfield but sooner or later they're gonna be back. We gotta get ourselves safe. Now." He replied as he looked at Mel. "Up for some more traveling?"

Mel nodded. "It'll give me more time for sleep."

Dean nodded as he went to tell the others.

They went back to Bobby's place and back to his panic room. Mel noticed her coffin was gone and was relieved. That thing was creepy as hell.

Dean patted the wall. "Iron walls that are drenched in salt." He explained to Anna. "Demons can't even touch us in here."

"Which I find racist by the way." Ruby said from outside the room.

"No one gives two shits what you think anyways so we are all good." Mel shot at her.

Ruby rolled her eyes and threw them all bags. "Here"

"Hex bags?" Dean asked.

"Extra crunchy and they'll hide us from angels, demons and all comers." Ruby replied.

"Thanks Ruby." Dean said as he walked over to Anna. "Don't lose this." He said as he gently handed it to her. He turned around and tossed another one at Mel. Mel rolled her eyes and walked out of the room and up stairs.

Dean looked after her confused but turned back to Anna. "So Anna, what's playing on Angel Radio right now?"

"It's quiet." She replied. "Dead silence. Is Melissa ok?"

Dean nodded. "She'll be fine. And she likes to go by Mel. The silence isn't troubling at all."

"We're in trouble, huh?" Anna asked. "You guys are scared?"

Dean looked at Ruby before looking back to Anna. "Nah," He replied.

"Hey!" Sam called from upstairs. "Dean!"

Dean went upstairs but told Anna to stay in the room. "Keep an eye on her." He told Ruby as he walked past her.

"How's the car?" Were the first words out of his mouth when he saw Sam in the kitchen. Dean noted that Mel wasn't here either. She must have gone upstairs for a short nap.

"I got her, she's fine. Where's Bobby?" Sam replied.

"He's in the Dominican!" Dean said with jealousy and shock. "He said we break anything we buy it."

"Is he working a job?" Mel said coming around the corner.

"I hope so otherwise he's in hedonism in a banana hammock and a trucker cap." Dean said and both Sam and Mel shut their eyes as if in pain.

"Now that's seared in my brain." Sam said and Mel shook her head to get the picture out.

"Alright, what'd you find on Anna?" Dean asked smiling at Mel's painstaken face at the image of Bobby.

"Not much," Sam said, "Her parents were Rich and Amy Milton, a church deacon and a house wife."

"Riveting." Mel said as she took more Advil.

"Yeah but there is something here in the report, turns out the latest psych episode wasn't her first." Sam said laying a folder down on the table. "When she was 2 ½, she'd get hysterical any time her dad got close. She was convinced that he wasn't her real daddy."

"Who was?" Dean asked. "The plumber? A little snake in the pipes?" Mel rolled her eyes at Dean's porn reference.

"Dude, you're confusing reality with porn again." Sam said and Mel busted out laughing at Dean's face. "Look, Anna didn't say she just kept repeating that this real father of hers was mad… very mad, like wanted to kill her mad."

"Kinda heavy for a 2 year old." Mel said looking at the file.

"Well she saw a kid shrink," Sam said, "got better and grew up normal."

"Until now," Dean finished. "So what's she hiding?"

"Why don't you just ask me to my face?" They all turned around to see a very mad Anna.

"Nice job watching her." Dean said to Ruby.

"I'm watching her!" Ruby said with a whining tone.

"No, you're right Anna." Sam said. "Is there anything you wanna tell us?"

"About what?" She asked.

"The angels said you were guilty of something. Why would they say that?" Mel asked her.

"You tell me." Anna snapped. "Tell me why my life has been leveled. Why my parents are dead. I don't know. I swear. I would give anything to know."

Sam nodded. "Okay. Then let's find out."

"How?" Anna asked.

"We know someone who can help." Dean said and Anna nodded and walked back downstairs. He walked over to Mel. "Hey, you ok?"

"I'm fine." She said without looking at him.

"What's the problem?" Dean asked.

"You two just seem to be getting a little close is all." Mel said walking downstairs only to pass an eavesdropping Anna.

"I'm sorry if you think that." Anna said with sincerity. "I would never jeopardize a relationship."

"You may not but you obviously don't know how he is." Mel said going back downstairs to play with the different guns while they waited for this person who could help.

A little while later, Mel heard the Impala pull up again. When she heard footsteps down the stairs she looked up to see a blind woman being led in by Dean.

"We're here." He called.

"Pamela," Sam said walking over to her.

"Sam!" She said.

"Yes it's me, it's Sam." He said noticing Mel's glare.

"Know how I can tell it's you?" Pamela asked and Mel rolled her eyes knowing where this is going. "That perky little ass of yours. You could bounce a nickel off that thing." She looked towards Mel who made a gagging noise. "You aren't still mad at me are you?"

"For what?" Mel asked in a sarcastic town. "For blatantly hitting on my boyfriend in front of me or offering him sex?"

"For both. I'm sorry I was just kidding. I didn't mean anything by it." Pamela said as she stroked Mel's cheek. Mel tensed not convinced and walked to the other side of the room.

"Of course I know you guys. Same way I know that's a demon and that that poor girl is Anna." She continued. "And that you've been eyeing my rack." She walked over to Anna as Sam stuttered through an excuse. "Hey, Anna, how are you? I'm Pamela."

"Hi." Anna replied taking Pamela's outstretched hands. No one noticed Dean sending looks to a very pissed off looking Mel.

"Dean's told me what's been going on. I'm excited to help." Pamela said.

"I'll just be upstairs." Mel said quickly leaving. Dean followed her up.

"What's your problem?" He asked.

"My problem? I'm sorry if I have issues with the woman you hit on and basically took up her sex offer! I'm not a swinger so I don't share. If you would like that then just head out the door." She said. "Is every woman just a walking sex toy to you?"

"That's just how I am, Mel! I didn't mean it seriously." Dean yelled back.

"I also heard the comment about all the girls you have ditched since I was gone too. Did I mean anything to you?" She said.

"I did that to try to get you out of my head!" Dean broke. "The pain was too much so I went with women to try to forget the pain but they only made it worse! I only kept reliving the day I watched you die! I could hardly ever finish because of those images!" He admitted shutting Mel up. "What nothing to say now? Don't you dare feel sorry for me."

"I was going to say I'm sorry for jumping all over you, Winchester, but if you are gonna talk to me like that fuck you!" Mel yelled back.

"You already did and you loved it." He shot back earning him a backhand from Mel. His head whipped to the side and he immediately regretted his words. Before he could apologize she was out the back door and into the maze of cars. Dean went back downstairs to make sure everything was ok down there and to give Mel some time to cool off.

"Nice and relaxed," Pamela was saying putting Anna in a trance when he got down there. "Now I'm going to count down from 5 to 0. When we're at 0 you'll be in a deep state of hypnosis. As I count down just go deeper and deeper, ok? 5…4…3…2…1…0…deep sleep…every muscle calm and relaxed. Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," Anna replied.

"Now, Anna, tell me, how can you hear the angels?" Pamela asked. "How did you work that spell?"

"I don't know," Anna replied, "I just did."

"Your father," Pamela started, "what's his name?"

"Rich Milton," Anna answered.

"Alright, but I want you to look further back," Pamela said, "when you were very young and just a couple of years old."

"I don't want to." Anna said sounding afraid.

"It'll be ok." Pamela assured her. "Anna, just one look, that's all we need."

"No," Anna said as she started turning on the bed.

"What's your dad's name?" Pamela asked. "Your real dad, why is he angry at you?"

Anna started thrashing. "No!" She kept screaming over and over. The lights started flashing and exploding. "He's gonna kill me!"

"Calm down," Pamela said without success. Dean walked over to grab Anna. "Dean, don't!" Pamela said but it was too late, Anna had already knocked him across the room. "Wake in 1 2 3 4 5." She said and everyone watched as she woke up and immediately calmed down. "Anna, are you alright?"

"Thank you Pamela." Anna said as she sat up. They all of a sudden heard banging on the iron door that had slammed shut. "That helped a lot. I remember now."

"Remember what?" Sam asked as the banging on the door continued.

"Who I am." Anna said calmly.

"I'll bite," A freaked out Dean said, "Who are you?"

"I'm an angel." Anna said and everyone froze.

Dean moved to open the door and Mel rushed in.

"What the hell is going on? Everything in the yard was breaking!" Mel said.

"Anna here happens to be an angel." Sam said.

"What?" Mel said looking at Dean who nodded. "Another one? Why can't they just leave us alone?"

"Don't be afraid." Anna said once they were all upstairs. "I'm not like the others." She said walking up to Ruby.

"I don't find that very reassuring." Ruby replied plastering herself against the wall.

"Neither do I." Pamela said.

"So Castiel and Uriel are the ones who came for me?" She asked.

"Little bundles of joy those two are." Mel said.

"You know them?" Sam asked.

"We were kind of in the same fox hole." Anna replied.

"So where they like your bosses or something?" Dean asked with an arm around Mel.

"Try the other way around." Anna said with a smile.

"Look at you." Dean said.

"Let's not." Mel shot back.

"Now they wanna kill you?" Pamela said ignoring Mel's outburst.

"Orders are orders." Anna explained. "I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."

"Why?" Mel asked.

"I disobeyed," Anna said, "which for us is about the worst thing you could do. I fell."

"Meaning…" Dean said.

"She fell to earth." Pamela explained. "She became human."

"Wait a minute, I don't understand." Sam said, "So angels can just become human?"

"It kinda hurts." Anna replied. "Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. That kinda hurt. I ripped out my grace."

"Come again?" Dean asked confused.

"My grace is energy. I hacked it out and fell." Anna said. "My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. She always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was."

"So you forgot that you were God's little power ranger?" Mel asked.

"The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah," Anna said.

"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are." Ruby burst in.

"Don't hold back now," Mel said, "Tell us how you really feel."

"Ruby's right," Anna said, "Heaven wants me dead."

"And Hell just…wants her." Ruby said. "A flesh and blood angel that you can question, torture, that bleeds. Sister, you're the Stanley Cup and sooner or later, heaven or hell, they're gonna find ya."

"I know." Anna said. "And that's why I'm gonna get it back."

"Huh?" Mel asked.

"My grace," Anna said.

"You can do that?" Dean asked.

"If I can find it, yes." Anna answered.

"So what, you gonna take some divine bong hit and Shazam you're Roman Downey?" Dean asked.

"Something like that." Anna said.

"Alright, I like this plan." Dean said and Mel rolled her eyes. "So where is the grace of yours?"

"I lost track," Anna said, "I was falling about 10,000 miles per hour at the time."

"You mean falling like literally?" Mel asked. "Did anyone give you a speeding ticket?"

"Yes and no." Anna said.

"Like the way the human eye can see? Like a comet maybe?" Sam asked.

"Why do you ask?" Anna asked.

"I saw something about one." He said.

"While this is all fun and games," Mel said, "I'm going to go get some sleep and when I wake up I hope this nightmare is over." She went to the stairs but Dean stopped her before she could climb them.

"Hey, about earlier, I'm sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have said that."

"I shouldn't have gotten so pissed so we are even." Mel said with a smile.

"Sweet dreams," Dean said smacking her ass lightly.

"Only of you big boy." Mel replied with a wider grin.

He laughed and headed back to the other room to take Pamela back. He got out of his car outside to see Anna sitting looking at the night sky when he got back. Mel was beside her and neither were talking.

"Did Pamela get home ok?" Anna asked.

"Yeah she said she was sorry but after last time she…this is just a little too rich for her blood." Dean replied and smiled at Mel who smiled back.

"I don't blame her." Anna said and Mel nodded in agreement. "You guys should do the same."

"We're not that smart." Dean said.

"Speak for yourself." Mel said and laughed. "I just stick around for the perks of being with you."

Dean smiled at her before moving between her and Anna. "Can I ask you something?" He asked Anna. "What do they want me and Mel for? Why did they save us?"

"I'm sorry," Anna said, "the angels aren't talking about it. And it was after I fell."

"Why would you fall?" Mel asked. "Why would you wanna be one of us?"

"You don't mean that." Anna stated.

"Actually I do." Mel said.

"We're a bunch of miserable bastards eating crapping confused afraid…" Dean said.

"I don't know…there's loyalty, forgiveness, love." She replied looking at both Mel and Dean as she said the last one.

"Pain," Dean said.

"Chocolate cake," Anna said.

"There goes my argument." Mel said and Anna laughed.

"Guilt," Dean continued.

"Sex," Anna said.

"Yeah you got me there." Dean said and Mel rolled her eyes.

"That would be the one to shut you up!" She said with a smile.

Anna smiled at both of them. "I mean it. Every emotion, guys, even the bad ones, that's why I fell. That's why I'd give anything not to have to go back. Anything."

"Feelings are overrated if you ask me." Dean said and grunted when Mel elbowed him in the stomach.

"It beats being an angel." Anna said. "At least you have someone who loves you unconditionally." She continued nodding to Mel who gave her a small smile in thanks.

"That's about the only feeling I want." Dean said putting his arm around Mel. "But how is that possible to beat being an angel? You guys are powerful and perfect. You don't doubt yourselves, god, or anything."

"Perfect like a marble statue," Anna said. "Cold, no choice, only obedience, Dean do you know how many angels have actually seen God? Seen his face?"

"All of you?" He answered.

"Four angels," Anna corrected and Mel's eyes went wide. "Four, and I'm not one of them."

"That's it?" Dean asked. "Well then how do you even know that there is a God?"

"We have to take it on faith." Anna said. "Which we are killed if we don't have. I was stationed on earth two thousand years just watching silent and invisible out on the road sick for home waiting for orders from an unknowable father so don't tell me that…" She was interrupted by Dean laughing. "What is so funny?"

"Nothing, sorry," Dean said. "It's just…I can relate."

"Me, too," Mel said snuggling closer to Dean.

"Hey," Sam called from behind them.

"Did you find something?" Mel asked.

"I think so." Sam replied and they all hurried inside. "Union, Kentucky," Sam started once they were all inside, "I found some accounts of a local miracle. In '85, there was an empty field outside of town. 6 months later there was a full grown oak. They say it looks a century old at least."

"Anna," Mel said. "What do you think?"

"The grace," She said, "It could have done something like that."

"So grace ground zero," Dean said confused, "it's not destruction it's…"

"Pure creation," Anna finished for him.

They all looked at each other before each went off to pack their bags. When they were all on the road Mel drifted off to sleep in the front seat against Dean. For a little ways he rested his head on hers. When he looked in the rear view mirror he laughed s he looked at both Anna and Ruby.

"What?" Ruby asked not liking being laughed at.

Dean shook his head. "Nothing. It's just an angel and a demon riding in the back seat. It's like a setup to a bad joke. Or a Penthouse Forum Letter."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dude, reality…porn." Sam said.

"You call this reality?" Dean asked. "In my reality, Mel would not have spent almost have a millennium in hell before being chosen to be saved."

No one had a reply and Dean put his arm around Mel before pushing the gas pedal down further.

In Kentucky, they stopped at a field with one lone tree.

"It's beautiful." Dean said.

Mel nodded. "I wonder how many weddings have taken place here. I know I would have mine here if I could." Dean looked at her and she just shrugged.

"This is where the grace touched down." Anna said. "I can feel it."

"Are you ready to do this?" Dean asked knowing Anna didn't want to go back.

"Not really," Anna replied. They all walked up to the tree and Anna put her hand on it.

"Anna, what are we even looking for?" Sam asked.

"It doesn't matter," She said after a moment of touching the tree. "It's not here. Not anymore. Someone took it."

Mel looked at Dean with a 'what-do-we-do-now' look. "Well what now?"

"We go back to Bobby's and get another plan." Dean said as they all headed back to the car.

Back at the cabin they were at when Castiel found them the first time, Anna just stood there in the center of the room and Mel was watching her from across the room. She felt Dean walk up behind her and smiled.

"Is she alright?" He asked.

Mel shook her head. "She is probably relieved in a way but I think, mostly, she knows that without her grace, she doesn't stand a chance against the angels." She wrapped her arms around herself. "We are with her too, Dean, that doesn't bode well for us. For once I'm actually scared."

"Hey," Dean said, "I would never let anything happen to you. You know that, right?" He asked hugging her from behind. "I'll go talk to her. I'll be right back."

He tried to walk away but Mel pulled him back and gave him a kiss that seared right through him. "You better be back. This last night on earth feeling leaves me feeling… let's just say that if you aren't back in half an hour, I will so hunt you down to get what I want." He smiled at her before walking off and Ruby walked out and followed him.

"Alright, we still have the hex bags; I say we head back to the panic room." Dean said.

"What and stay there forever?" Ruby said as she scoffed.

"I'm just thinking out loud." Dean shot at her.

"Oh you call that thinking?" Ruby shot back and Mel immediately stepped forward but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked back to see Sam coming back in.

"Hey, stop it guys." He said breaking them up.

"Anna's grace is gone, you understand? She can't angel up she can't protect us. We can't fight heaven and hell. One side maybe but not both." Ruby said practically yelling.

"Guys, the angels are talking again." Anna said and Mel was right by her side.

"What are they saying?" Mel asked.

"It's weird." Anna said. "Like a recording, a loop, it says 'Dean Winchester gives us Anna by midnight or…" She stopped talking.

"Or what?" Mel said grabbing her shoulders. "What will they do to him?"

"Or we hurl him back to damnation." Anna finished looking at Dean.

"No!" Mel said. "They can't do that! He was saved for a reason. Are they really that heartless?"

"You have no idea." Anna replied.

Dean's eyes went wide and he was speechless.

"Anna," Sam said, "Do you know of any weapon that works on an angel?"

Mel turned and looked at Sam with a look of thanks.

"To what?" Anna asked. "To kill them?"

"I'm game for it!" Mel said and Anna looked at her. "What? That's my boyfriend they wanna hurl back down there! I'll go before he ever will go back there." Dean stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder and she stopped yelling.

Anna nodded with understanding. "Nothing we can get to. Not right now."

"Wait… I say we call Bobby, we get him back from hedonism…" Dean said.

"Dean, what's he gonna tell us that we don't already know?" Sam said raising his voice.

"I don't know!" Dean shot back. "But we gotta think of something."

Mel felt his pulse rate shoot up and she turned around and put a hand on his cheek. "We will, Dean. I promise, you will never have to go back there." He looked at her with confusion that turned into something she didn't see often in his eyes, love.

Dean walked outside to look at all the maps and everything while Mel stood by the door just watching him. He really would never have to go back because if they tried she would get them to send her in his place. She dealt with it longer so she could do it again if it was for him.

She watched Anna walk up to him.

"Hey," Dean said, "You holding up ok?"

"I'm trying," Anna replied, "a little scared I guess. So Dean I just wanted to thank you."

Dean looked confused. "For what?"

"Everything," Anna said, "You guys didn't have to help me."

"Let's can the 'thanks for trying' speech alright?" Dean said and Mel walked to the Impala to get her bag out of the trunk but forgot he had locked it.

"Can I have the keys? My bag is in the trunk." Mel asked and Dean nodded and tossed her keys at him.

He looked back at Anna. "Participation trophies suck ass." He said while chuckling and looking back at Mel.

"I don't know," Anna said, "Maybe I don't deserve to be saved."

"Don't talk like that," Dean said.

"I disobeyed," Anna said sounding stressed. "Lucifer disobeyed. It's our murder one and I knew it. Maybe I gotta pay." She finished.

"Well, we've all done things we gotta pay for." Dean said looking at Mel again who was rooting through the bags in the trunk to find hers.

Anna sat in front of him. "I gotta tell you something. You're not gonna like it. About a week ago I heard the angels talking about you and what you did in hell. Dean, I know. Mel knows too and you can see she doesn't judge you. She still loves you knowing what you did." She said putting her hand on his cheek. "It wasn't your fault. You should forgive yourself, Mel already has."

"Anna I don't wanna…I don't want…I can't talk about that." Dean finally choked out.

"I know," Anna said, "but when you can, you have people that wanna help. Melissa has the purest heart I have ever felt and she loves you more than you give her credit for. She will listen and when she does listen to her as well because she needs to talk about it too. You are not alone. That's all I'm trying to say." She slowly stood and kissed Dean on the cheek. "Now I believe Mel said she would hunt you down earlier. Go to her." Anna said before walking off to the cabin.

Dean walked up to Mel grabbed her from behind, turned her and kissed her with a passion none of them knew he had. When he pulled back Mel smiled.

"Was that because this could be our last night on earth?" She smiled when he gave her his signature smirk.

"Why are you always taking my best lines?" He said before crashing his lips back to hers.

Mel groped for the door handle to the back seat and crawled in with Dean on top of her. This was different she could tell. He was almost nervous.

"Hey," she said, "You won't hurt me. I trust you." He didn't say anything but the look in his eyes was soft. They made love slowly but it burned hotter than any other time they had. Afterwards Mel fell asleep in the impala and Dean covered her with the blanket from her bag. He kissed her forehead and went back to the cabin.

"Look at that," a voice said as he walked into the cabin. "It's so cute that monkeys wear clothes." The voice belonged to Uriel.

Dean looked around. "I'm dreaming aren't I?"

"It's the only way we could chat." Uriel said. "Since you're hiding like cowards."

"I don't normally see you off leash. Where's your boss?" A voice said from behind Dean. He turned around to see Mel fully dressed in his dream.

"Castiel? Well he's not here." Uriel said and Mel felt a cold fear running down her spine. "See he has this weakness. He likes you. Time's up you two. We want the girl."

"Wouldn't try that if I were you." Dean said with a hating glare. "See, she got her grace back. She's a full blown angel now." Mel looked at him knowing he was lying she just hoped Uriel didn't call their bluff.

"That would be a neat trick considering I have her grace right here." Mel felt her last hope shatter as he took a vial out of his shirt. "We can't let hell get their hooks into it."

"Well then why don't you just give her back her angel juice?" Dean asked getting really nervous.

"She committed a serious crime." Uriel responded.

"What?" Mel said. "Thinking for herself?"

"This is our business not yours." Uriel said. "She's not even human, not technically."

"Well I guess I just like being a pain in the pooper." Dean said. Mel would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

"You cut yourself a slice of angel food cake didn't you?" Uriel said laughing.

"Actually no, the one screaming in the car was me." Mel shot back stepping up beside Dean.

"When you put it like that then I did get myself a slice of angel." Dean said looking at Mel.

"Oh shut up before I get sick." Uriel said. "This is your last chance. Give us the girl or…"

"Or what?" Dean asked wanting this conversation to be over. "Or you'll toss me back in the hole? You're bluffing."

"Try me." Uriel said getting serious again. "It's a whole lot bigger than the plans for you and Mel, Dean. You two can be replaced."

Dean shook his head. "What the hell? Go ahead to it. Send me back to hell but you leave Mel alone."

"No! I was there longer I can take it. Send me." Mel said trying to stand in front of Dean.

"You are crazy enough to go aren't you?" Uriel said looking at Dean and ignoring Mel.

"What can I say?" Dean said. "I don't break easy."

"Oh yes," Uriel said walking around the two. "You do. You just gotta know where to apply the right pressure." He put his fingers on Mel's head and she disappeared. "Don't worry she is in her own dreams now. If you want to keep her alive and out of hell or just alive then you will give us the girl." Uriel said before disappearing.

Dean woke up next to Mel in the impala with a blanket over them. He smiled, kissed her forehead and quietly got out. When he went inside, he remembered his dream and what Uriel said. He immediately pulled out his flask and took a long drink.

"Where is Ruby?" Sam asked worried.

"Hey she's your hell buddy." Dean said.

Anna walked over to Dean. "A little early for that isn't it?" She asked.

"It's 2 AM somewhere." Dean replied.

"Are you ok?" Anna asked suspicious.

"Yeah, of course." Dean replied.

The doors burst open and Castiel and Uriel walked in with Mel in hand with only the blanket covering her. She was gagged and crying.

"Let her go!" Dean yelled.

Castiel ignored him. "Hello, Anna." He said. "It's good to see you."

"How'd you find us?" Sam demanded keeping his eyes on Mel the whole time.

Castiel just looked at Dean who looked down at the floor. Before going into the cabin, he had burned the hex bags. He couldn't let them take Mel. He couldn't lose her again. They all turned to him and he could only look at Mel then at the floor.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry." Dean said to them but mostly to Anna.

"Why?" Sam demanded.

"Do you see Mel, Sam?" Anna asked. "They threatened her and now look. I know how their minds work. Did you guys have to humiliate her like this? Couldn't you have let her get dressed at least?" She stood in front of Dean and kissed him softly but not romantically. "You did the best you could. I forgive you." She said before turning to the two angels. "Let her go!"

They all heard a sizzling and then Mel was screaming before Uriel threw her to the ground. Dean rushed to her and helped her up. He saw the burn on her arm and glared.

"Ok," Anna said once Mel was safe. "No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."

"I'm sorry." Castiel said.

"No," Anna said. "You're not, not really, you don't know the feeling."

"Still, we have a history." Castiel said. "It's just…"

"Orders are orders," Anna finished for him. "I know. Just make it quick."

"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head." They all turned to see Alistair and a bleeding Ruby. "Hello, Mel, I must say, that look is dashing on you." He said seeing her only in a blanket. Mel just glared.

Uriel walked up to Alistair while all the others moved out of the way. "How dare you come in this room you pussing sore."

"Name calling," Alistair said, "that hurt my feelings you sanctimonious, fanatical, prick."

"Turn around and walk away now." Castiel said.

"Sure," Alistair said, "Just give us the girl. We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."

"You know who we are and what we will do," Castiel said. (A/N: Ok, who else thinks that's the worst line ever? I mean really writers really? Ok I'm done now back to the story.) "I won't say it again, leave now or we lay you to waste."

"I'll think I'll take my chances." Alistair said.

That's when the fighting broke loose. Uriel pinned a demon against the wall while Castiel tried to kill Alistair.

"Sorry, kiddo," Alistair said when it didn't work, "Why don't you go run to daddy?" When he tried to kill Castiel, Dean hit him in the head with a tire iron.

"Dean, no!" Mel shouted.

"Dean, Dean, Dean." Alistair said. "I'm so disappointed. You had such promise!" He shouted as he held his hand out and Dean and Sam started choking.

"God, no! Stop please!" Mel started begging and crying again.

"You're really back with this schmuck?" Alistair asked her. "Does he know about the things we did in hell?"

"More like the things you did to me!" Mel shouted back. "Let them go! Stop please."

While Uriel disposed of another demon, Anna rushed and grabbed the necklace that held her grace.

"No!" Uriel shouted as she smashed it onto the ground.

There was a blue light that flooded into Anna as she dropped to the ground. "Close your eyes!" She said as they all looked to her. "Close your eyes!" She shouted again as a bright light filled the room then she was gone and so was Alistair.

Dean and Sam gasped for breath as Mel rushed to them. She made sure Sam was ok before moving on to Dean. "Are you ok?"She asked and he simply nodded and hugged her to him.

They all stood up and walked to the center of the room. Dean bent down and grabbed the knife Ruby had that Alistair dropped. "Well what are you guys waiting for?" Dean asked. "You should go get Anna unless, of course, you're scared." He taunted.

Uriel walked forward but was stopped by Castiel. "This isn't over."

"Oh it looks over to me, chuckles." Dean said. "And let me tell you both, you two ever touch Mel again, I'll find a way to kill you."

They all sighed in relief when the angels disappeared. Ruby got up and slowly and painfully walked over to them.

"You ok?" Sam asked her.

"Not so much," She replied gasping for breath.

"What took you so long to get here?" Dean asked and Mel looked at him.

"Sorry for the wait with my demon delivery, I was only being tortured." Ruby shot back.

"Wait, this whole damn thing was planned?" Mel shouted. "Was it in the plan for me to get burned? That hurts like a bitch by the way!"

"It was Sam's idea!" Dean said holding his hands up. "I gotta hand it to you Sammy, bringing them all together, all at once, angels and demons, that's a damn good plan that did not involve Meg getting taken temporary prisoner or getting hurt." He said the last part to Mel.

"When you got Godzilla and Mothra on your ass, best to get out of the way and let them fight." Sam explained and looked sheepishly at Mel. "How's your arm?"

"Did you just miss my comment of it hurts like a bitch? I'm blistering! That mother fucker burned me!" She shouted as she tightened the blanket around herself. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get dressed now." With that she stalked out.

"So I guess she's some big time angel now, huh?" Sam said about Anna. "She must be happy." He added after Dean nodded.

"I doubt it." Dean said looking at Ruby.

Later after leaving and tending to Mel's burn, they all sat on the impala on the side of the road drinking beers.

"I can't believe we made it out of there." Dean said.

"I know you heard him." Dean said and both Mel and Sam looked at him.

"Who?" Sam asked but Mel already knew the answer.

"Alistair," Dean replied. "What he said about how I had…promise."

"I heard him." Sam said and Mel grabbed Dean's hand and threaded her fingers with his.

"You're not curious?" Dean asked.

"Dean, I'm damn curious but you're not talkin about hell and I'm not pushin'." Sam replied.

Dean took a deep drink from his bottle. "It wasn't four months you know…" He began and Mel squeezed his hand to tell him silently she was still there.

"What?" Sam said looking confused.

"Time moves differently in hell." Mel continued for Dean. "Like every month is 10 years."

"It was more like 40 years for me." Dean said. "They sliced and carved and tore me in ways that you…" He stopped thinking of what to say. "Until there was nothing left. And then, suddenly, I would be whole again, like magic. Just so they could start it all over. Alistair, at the end of every day, would come over and he would make me an offer."

Mel nodded. "An offer to get off the rack." She said and Sam just looked at her. "He made the same offer to me for the almost half millennium I was down there."

Dean nodded. "And every day I told him to stick it where the sun shines."

"Me, too," Mel added.

"For 30 years I told him. Mel didn't break but I did." Dean said causing Sam to look at him again. "I couldn't do it anymore, Sammy. I got off that rack and I started ripping them apart." He squeezed Mel's hand for reassurance and she squeezed back as she watched the tears run down his face. "I lost count of how many souls. The things that I did to them. That I almost did to Mel before we were saved." Mel was crying by this point.

"Dean," Sam started, "You held on for 30 years, that's longer than most people would have."

"If Dean had made that first cut," Mel started, "Then I would have broken right there and then and begged to get off the rack." Dean turned to look at her with surprise.

"How I feel," Dean said turning back to Sam, "this, inside me, I wish I couldn't feel anything, Sammy. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing."

Mel couldn't even get mad at the comment because she felt the same way. She just put her arms around her boyfriend and let him cry there on the side of the road knowing their journey was far from over.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: It has been brought to my attention that Dean is a little OOC and a little too mushy at times. Well I'm sorry that people feel that way. I honestly wanted him to be that way because of him having Mel and everything. I wanted him to be a little OOC so he could deal with a girlfriend yet still be a douche during his douche bag moments. I love Dean's attitude but I wanted this for my story's sake. I hope this doesn't make you guys mad! Love you guys!**

Chapter 11

Mel and Dean were sitting in silence in a patch of woods in the Impala while Sam slept in the back seat. Mel kept looking over at Dean every now and then worrying about him.

"What?" He snapped.

"Nothing, Mr. Grouchy." Mel said as she looked out her window. "I'm just worried about you."

"There is nothing to be worried about." Dean said pouring over maps.

Nothing else was said for a few minutes until Sam woke up in the back and looked surprised at seeing them both awake.

"What are you guys doin'?" Sam's sleepy voice rang over the seats.

"Well, Mel is just sitting there and what's it look like I'm doing?" Dean asked.

"Like you're looking for a job." Sam said matter-of-factly.

"Yahtzee." Dean said and Mel rolled her eyes.

"We just finished a job like two hours ago." Sam said.

"That's what I said two hours ago when you fell asleep and he pulled all this crap out." Mel said.

"Adrenaline's still pumping I guess." Dean retorted not taking his eyes off the papers in front of him. "So what do you think? Cedar rapids? Tulsa? Or maybe Chi-town?"

"How about we all get some sleep!" Mel said.

"I am all for working," Sam said both the boys ignoring Mel's outburst, "I really am…but you've got us chasing cases nonstop for like a month now. I agree with Mel. We need sleep."

"We can sleep when we're dead." Dean said and Mel rolled her eyes.

"You are so typical." She said as she curled into a ball in the front seat. "Night guys. Wake me if Dean ever comes to his senses."

"That may take awhile." Dean retorted but smiled at her.

"Dean you're exhausted." Sam said.

"I'm good!" Dean retorted getting annoyed.

"No you're not. You're running on fumes. You've been up for nights at a time. Have you seen what that has been doing to Mel? She hasn't eaten an actual meal in forever and she sleeps whenever you do because you worry her when you do this. You can't run forever, Dean." Sam said.

Dean would never admit Sam was right but he had noticed Mel getting a little thinner. "What am I running from?" He said in his smart ass attitude.

"From what you told me and Mel." Sam said. "Or are we pretending that never happened?"

There was a moment of silence before Dean spoke again. "Stratton, Nebraska…farm town. " He began. "A man gets hacked to death in a locked room in a locked house. No signs of forced entry."

"Sounds like a ghost." Sam said.

"Yes it does." Dean said.

Sam laid back down in the back seat to get some more sleep. Dean silently thought about what Sam had said and internally admitted it was the truth. He hated the fact that he had broken down like that. He felt weak and that was a bad thing especially in front of Mel. He had actually noticed her eating less and not sleeping as much but didn't have the heart to say anything because he knew it was his fault. He looked over at her and cursed himself for how thin she looked. It was borderline unhealthy.

He started the car with one last look at Mel and drove off towards Nebraska.

The next day, they pulled up to the house. Sam was in the front seat, Dean was, of course, driving, and Mel was sleeping in the back seat this time. They had woke her up to feed her a cheeseburger, fries, a soda, and a huge serving of pie before she passed back out again. She had eaten it all and Dean was quite impressed. A girl that wasn't afraid to eat a lot was a turn on for him but he buried those thoughts before they could take root.

"Hey," Sam said gently shaking Mel, "Mel, we're here."

"Really? That was fast!" She said stretching.

"You've been asleep for six hours." Dean said. "So it was fast for you."

"That's what she said!" Mel said smiling as she got out of the car. "This is a creepy looking house."

"Let's go inside." Dean said and Sam handed him the lock picking kit they had.

Once inside they all walked through together.

"I hate empty houses. They give me the creeps." Mel said shivering.

"God everything gives you the creeps." Dean said walking in front of her.

"Yeah including you Dean!" She shot back causing him to smirk.

"No I give you something else." He said wagging his eyebrows.

"Can we please work here, guys?" Sam said disgusted.

"Well, three bedrooms, two baths, one homicide. This place is going to smell like hot cakes." Dean said.

"Ugly ass wallpaper!" Mel said. "I don't think this place is going to sell at all."

The kitchen was next and they started opening all the cabinets but Mel didn't know why. Everything thing in the house was empty. She got an inquisitive look when Dean started knocking on the wall.

"No one is home." She said and gave him a toothy grin when he gave her a glare.

Sam walked over and had a look.

"That's probably a dumbwaiter." He said. "All these old houses had them."

"Know-it-all," Dean said and Mel snorted trying not to laugh.

"What?" Sam said turning around.

"What?" Dean asked back.

"You said…" He started. "Nevermind." Sam walked into the next room and Mel burst out laughing and Dean smirked.

"Dude, EMF is going really wonky." They heard Sam say and they followed him into a room that was probably a bedroom.

"We got power lines." Dean said

"Which makes that thing as useful as Viagra to a castrated man." Mel said. "What?" She asked when both boys looked at her funny. "It's true!"

Dean just shook his head as he walked over to the closet as Sam opened it.

They all jumped when they saw a hairless old doll head sitting on the floor looking at them.

"Ugh," Sam grunted in disgust.

"Well, that's super disturbing." Dean said.

"Not to mention disgusting!" Mel said. "Man now I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks!"

"Think it got left behind?" Sam asked.

"By who?" Dean asked. "Unless Bill Gibson likes to play with doll heads."

"Hey he could have been a pervert." Mel said. "You never know." She walked over to the window. "Um, guys, we have company in the form of a moving truck…"

Both brothers looked as well. "I thought you said it was still for sale!" Dean said to Sammy.

"Apparently it's not." Sam said as they rushed to the front door.

"What the hell are we going to tell them?" Mel hissed as they got out the front door and Dean shoved a leather pouch in her hand.

"Follow my lead." He said as the daughter noticed them.

"Can I help you?" The father said walking up to the three.

"Hi, are you the new owner?" Dean asked in his "professional" voice.

"Yeah, you guys are?" The man retorted.

"This is Mr. Stanwick, I'm Mr. Babar, and this is Ms. McGirl." All three flashed their badges as Dean continued. "County code enforcement."

"We just had the building inspected last week." The man said looking back at his family. "Is there a problem."

"Asbestos in the walls and a gas leak. Yeah, I'd say we got a problem." Mel glared at the younger man who was staring at her.

"Asbestos, meaning what?" The mother asked.

"It means until this house is up to code, it's uninhabitable." Mel explained smiling at the daughter.

"You're saying we can't stay here?" The father said copping an attitude.

"It's a health hazard, you don't want to." Dean said and Mel could tell he was losing his patience.

"Hold up," the younger man said walking up. "We just drove 400 miles…"

"There is a motel just down the road." Dean said. "Until this gets cleaned up I suggest you stay there."

"What if we don't?" The father said and Mel stepped towards him.

"Either we can fine you or I can hall all of you to jail. How does that sound?" She said with her 'fuck-off' smile.

"I'll go to jail if she will take me personally." The younger guy said. Mel felt Sam's hand on her arm as she was about to take a step towards the jerk and saw the woman hit him in the stomach.

"I don't think my fiancée here will appreciate that." She said nodding her head to Dean. "But it is your choice."

The man sighed in defeat. "One night, one night and I will take care of everything ASAP." He said as they all headed back to the car.

"Another motel?" the daughter said. "Awesome Dad. I hope this one has hooker sheets like the last one."

Mel smiled at the comment. Now it was time to get to work. The boys changed into their suits and Mel just lay down in the back seat. She always hated interviews and thought the lady might be suspicious if three people showed up at her doorstep. So, she just waited in the car with the windows cracked.

"What do we have?" She asked as they got in the car and pulled out of the lady's driveway.

"Well, the wife died of childbirth, and then 20 years later the daughter hung herself in the attic but they were both cremated. And the lady said she heard a rustling in the walls." Sam said as Dean drove.

"Ouch that man lost his entire family. No wonder he was a recluse." Mel said. "The rustling could be a spirit right?"

"Bingo." Dean said.

When they pulled up that night they saw the people had moved themselves into the house.

"Holy crap! Well, they probably figured out we lied by now so what do we do now?" Mel asked.

"We wait to see if anything happens." Dean said. "If it does we take action."

"By doing what?" Mel asked.

"We could tell them the truth." Sam said.

"Really?" Mel said.

"No, not really." Sam retorted and grunted when Mel hit him across the back of the head.

"Asshole," She mumbled and Sam smirked.

A few hours later they heard screaming from inside the house so they quickly pulled up to the house, jumped out and rushed through the front door.

"We heard screaming what's going on?" Dean said.

"You three!" The dad yelled. "Did you touch my daughter?"

"What? No!" Dean said.

"I don't swing that way and the only person he touches that way would be me!" Mel snapped right back.

"Well then who are you people?" The father demanded.

"Relax sir, you have a ghost." Sam said.

"Way to sugar coat it, Sam." Mel mumbled.

"I told you!" The daughter said.

"It's the girl!" The son said and that peaked Mel's interest.

"Both of you," the dad said as he put his arms around the kids' shoulders, "relax. What are you guys playing?"

"Your family's in danger." Dean said.

"You need to get out of the house now." Mel finished for him. Right after she finished, the lights went out.

"What the hell?" the pervy uncle asked.

"Nobody move!" Dean said inching closer to Mel. As they all quieted down, they heard a dog barking.

"Buster!" The son shouted.

"Damn not the dog!" Mel said following the dad out the front door.

"Buster?" He shouted into the night.

They followed the barking and yelping around the house until Buster went quiet and they saw "too late" written on the moving truck in what could only by Buster's blood.

"What the hell?" Mel asked and turned to see the rest of the family running out. "Don't come out here!" But it was too late and they all saw the blood.

"Go back inside," the dad said, "Go!"

"Well fine don't listen to the people trying to save your lives." Mel muttered and Dean shot her a warning glare and she put her hands up in surrender.

"We are not the bad guys," Dean started, "but you're in danger."

"First things first, you have to get your family out of here." Sam said and Mel nodded.

They finally agreed and after a few minutes they were ready to leave.

"Alright head to the motel I was talking about," Dean said, "you'll be safe there."

"What are you three gonna do?" The dad asked.

"Hopefully get rid of the bitch." Mel said. "I don't like things that kill animals…" The son smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Oh no…" Dean said.

Mel looked up and saw what he was looking at. "What kind of spirit does this to a car?"

They looked around and everyone's tires were slashed.

"The guns are gone!" Sam said and a chill went down Mel's spine. It took their stuff? What were they supposed to do now? "Basically everything is gone!"

"The truck is no good!" The uncle shouted running back.

"Both tires are slashed." The dad said walking back to his family.

"What kind of ghost messes with a man's wheels?" Dean shouted to no one in particular.

"What's going on?" The daughter said. "What's going on?"

Mel jumped ten feet in the air when the girl just started screaming her head off.

"She's there!" She said looking out into the weeds behind them. "She's there!"

When they all turned around, though, no one was there. This sent another chill down Mel's back.

"Where?" Mel asked her.

"She was right there in the woods." The girl replied.

"Dean, what kind of spirit can leave the house?" She asked.

"Do you want to stay and find out?" Sam asked her and when she shook her head.

"Everybody inside." Dean said.

"Are you crazy? We need to get the hell out of here!" The uncle shouted.

"If you have a way then, by all means, share with us. But, until then, you will listen to exactly what we tell you to!" Mel shouted back in his face.

"This ghost is hunting us." Dean said. "Everybody back inside!"

"Do you have any salt?" Mel asked when they got back inside. She smiled when the dad went to go get it.

Dean immediately started making a salt circle around the fireplace for them to stay.

"Whatever is outside, it can't get in this circle." Dean said. "As long as the salt line is unbroken this is the safest place to be."

Mel started making a fire to keep her busy. Something didn't feel right but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Safe from ghosts?" The dad asked. He obviously still didn't believe but that was normal.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Dean said getting annoyed, his voice rising slightly.

"I'm not listening to this anymore." The dad said. "I gotta get my family out of here."

"Nobody is going anywhere until we kill this thing!" Dean said standing up.

"Sir, please," Sam pleaded, "this is what we do. Trust us."

"You hunt ghosts?" The son asked.

"You bet cowboy!" Mel said smiling and winking at him.

"Like Scooby Doo?" He asked his grin widening.

"Better because I happen to think I'm hotter than Daphne." Mel said and she could hear the eye roll coming from Dean. "And if you roll your eyes again, Winchester…" She left the threat open because there were kids in the room.

"You saw her outside right?" Sam walked up to the daughter. She nodded still freaking out but who could blame her? "Ok," he started holding out two pictures, "does she look like anyone of these girls?"

The girl pointed to the picture of the daughter. "Her, she was paler and a lot dirtier but that was her."

"That's the girl in the walls." The son said also.

"It was the daughter?" Sam asked.

"You guys told me she was dead!" Mel said.

"She is!" Dean said. "We are dealing with a spirit remember? The only thing that confuses me is she was cremated!"

"That girl in the picture," the mother said, "she's dead?"

"She killed herself inside this house." Sam replied.

"Again, great with the sugar coating!" Mel said as she walked over with the brothers.

"So the maid got her story wrong? Rebecca wasn't cremated?" Dean asked and Mel noticed the pervy uncle inching closer and cleared her throat.

"Unless her spirit is attached to something inside the house." Sam continued and Mel rolled her eyes before clearing her throat louder.

"She hung herself in the attic right?" Dean said and Mel shook her head.

"You wanna babysit and I'll check it out?" Sam asked.

"Look," the uncle said. "I don't care who hung themselves where, maybe something is going on here but-"

"It's a spirit." Dean said and Mel stepped forward.

"No, it's just some backwoods hillbilly bitch and I'm not about to just sit around here and wait for her to go all deliverance on my ass." He snapped.

"No one leaves the house!" Mel said.

"Stop me!" He said and as he walked away Mel grabbed his arm and yanked him back and shoved him face first into the wall.

"Listen to me, I've got a gun and if you don't get back in that circle, I'll give you a new hole to breathe out of. Understand, asshole?" She said in a dangerously low tone.

When she let go of him he went back to his family and Dean nodded in a silent thank you. She watched Sam walk up to her.

"You don't have a gun, Mel." Sam said.

"So? He was getting on my nerves with his attitude and bedroom eyes." She said and Sam rolled his eyes. "Happy hunting! We can handle it from here."

He shook his head and went to go find the attic and she walked over to Dean and sat down next to him. After a while everyone started to get restless while waiting on Sam. Dean was pacing and Mel was lightly dozing in the corner.

"Hey, Fonzi," the uncle called and Mel popped her eyes open knowing she may have to pull Dean off him if he said anything wrong. "I have a question for you. This indestructible force field made out of salt, does it have to Kosher stuff or what?"

"Knock it off, Ted." The mother said.

Mel was about to say something when a noise came from the wall in front of them.

"What the hell was that?" Mel asked moving over to the fireplace and picking up the fire poker. Her eyes widened when she saw the closet door open and a girl come out. She gripped the fire poker tighter as she neared the salt.

"Everyone calm down, she is a ghost meaning she can't come into the circle." Dean said as the girl kept getting closer and her eyes slowly filled with rage. She looked at Mel who had raised the fire poker and the rage only intensified as she stepped over the salt.

"I thought you said spirits couldn't cross salt!" The daughter said.

"I did, she isn't a spirit!" Dean said right before the girl leapt at Mel.

"Shoot her!" Ted shouted at Mel.

"About that…" Mel said but didn't get the chance to finish the sentence.

Screaming the girl pulled out a knife and went after Mel who kept trying to block the stabs with the poker while everyone else ran outside. Mel's heart was pounding in her ears so loud she couldn't even hear when Sam yelled at the girl.

"Hey!" Sam yelled and shined a flashlight in her eyes. The girl screamed as if in pain and ran back into the walls.

Mel dropped the poker to the ground and tried to catch her breath.

"You ok?" Dean said rushing to her.

"Yeah, I feel fine." She said but cried out in pain when she rubbed her arms. When she pulled up her sleeve there was a nasty cut on her arm. "That bitch cut me!"

"It isn't that deep but it'll hurt for a while." Dean said as he ripped part of his shirt to make a bandage for the cut.

Sam walked over to the closet and inspected it but the girl wasn't there. They all quickly stood up and ran outside to find everyone else.

"Hey!" The father said running to meet them at the bottom of the stairs. "You ok?" He said when he saw blood running down Mel's arm.

"We're fine." Dean said. "Where is everybody?"

"They're hiding," the dad replied.

"Alright go get them." Mel said. "I can't believe that bitch cut me!"

"So it's not a ghost…" Dean said.

"So it's just a girl?" Sam asked flabbergasted.

"That's not just a girl!" Mel said. "It's psycho Nell!"

"I'm tell you guys…humans!" Dean said shivering.

"So who is she then?" Sam asked.

"Maybe it's the daughter Rebecca. Maybe she didn't hang herself." Dean said.

"Dude that would make her about 50 years old by now." Sam said.

"I don't know!" He said. "What'd you find in the attic?"

"Some old junk," Sam replied, "I found Rebecca's diary that's about it."

"I wish you had found a Howitzer." Dean replied and the other two chuckled.

"Guys we gotta get this family safe." Mel said. "She's human so they could run for it! They could make it!"

"Yeah we would just have to hold her off." Dean agreed.

"We're ok!" The mother shouted coming into view. "Honey is your arm ok?" She said trying to look at Mel's arm.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch." Mel said unnerved by the motherly action.

"Danny, Ted, we gotta go!" The father shouted and Ted came around the corner but no Danny.

"Danny?" The mother shouted.

"Something is wrong, Dean." Mel whispered and Dean's gaze hardened.

"Danny, buddy, we gotta go!" They all tried shouting but no answer and no boy came around the corner.

"Brian, where is he?" The mother asked.

"Told you it was some crazy bitch." Ted snapped at Mel.

Mel tried to launch herself at Ted but Dean caught her before she could do any damage.

"Yes you did. Now unless you want to get pummeled by her I suggest you relocate by your family." Dean said.

"No wonder that douche bag is single!" Mel said as they still waited for Danny.

When he still didn't come the mother tried to run to the woods to look for him but the husband, Brian, stopped her.

"We will find him." He said holding onto his wife's arms.

"No!" She said

"Take Kate and go now." He ordered.

"No!" She screamed this time. "Not without Danny, no way!"

"I'm not going out there with Mom alone!" Kate argued.

"She's right." Dean said. "Until we find your son the safest place for all of you is in the shed."

"I'm not going in there either." The daughter said.

"You are going in there if I have to hog tie you and drag you by your hair!" Mel suddenly shouted. "God what is it with this family and wanting to get killed? Just trust us and listen! The shed is the safest place. Dean is right. Just go!" She pleaded.

"It's the best defense. The windows are boarded up and it's got one door. It's our best shot right now." Dean snapped while Sam put a hand on Mel's shoulder to calm her down.

"Suse, Kate," Brian said, "Go, go."

They nodded reluctantly and ran to the shed and boarded themselves in.

"Alright," Sam started, "Mel, you go to the shed."

"What?" She protested. "Hell no!"

"You're injured so you're a prime target." Dean said. "And I won't have you getting hurt when it can be avoided. Just go!"

Mel just glared after he yelled and just walked away. When she walked into the shed she saw the two girls cowering in a corner and knew this was going to be interesting.

As the minutes ticked by she noticed the two women were getting jumpier while she was still calm.

"How can you stay so calm?" Kate asked.

"I've been doing this for years. I get scared but the less I show it the more I can feel my instincts." Mel explained.

"It must be a hard life." Susan said with sorrow.

"It is but it beats where I was before." She chuckled bitterly.

"Where was that?" Kate said.

Realizing what she almost told these complete strangers, Mel just shook her head. "You don't want to know. I'm in a better place with two men who would do anything to protect me and vice versa. I travel with my boyfriend, his brother is basically my brother in everything but blood… we have it good compared to others."

A knock on the door made the women jump.

"Who is it?" Mel called.

"You know who it is. Open the door." Sam said from the other side.

"You're no fun." Mel chuckled but stopped when she saw the grim faces of Brian and Sam. "What happened? Where's Dean?"

"Dean is still in the house and fine as far as I know, Mel." Sam said.

"You didn't find Danny?" Susan asked and when Brian shook his head she started rocking slightly.

"We'll wait for Dean and Ted and regroup then." Sam said as he sat next to Mel.

"Mel, why are you so tired lately?" He asked noticing her drooping eye lids.

"I don't know." She said but she looked down so Sam knew she was lying.

"I know something is up. You aren't sleeping, you're barely eating. What's going on?" Sam said.

Mel was about to reply when Brian walked up to Sam.

"Why are we just sitting here?" He asked. "Let's go in. Let's check the house."

"We have to wait for the guys to get back." Sam said.

A knock sounded and made even Mel jump slightly.

"Sam?" She heard Dean's voice coming from outside. "It's me."

"Help me move this." Sam said as he and Brian moved a chest out from in front of the door. Dean rushed in and immediately shut the door.

"Did you get Danny?" Susan asked.

Dean looked up at Sam and Mel recognized the guilty look in his eyes. "No." He said shaking his head.

"No? Well, where's Ted?" She asked.

"He's outside." Dean said and Mel's heart dropped.

"Why doesn't he come inside?" Susan kept firing questions.

"Because I had to carry him out." Dean said letting the regret he felt show through. Mel may not have liked the guy but he didn't deserve to die. "I'm sorry."

"What does that mean that you're sorry?" She fired out again.

"Are you saying that he's dead?" Brian asked and Mel saw the accusing look in his eyes.

"No, he's not saying that he's dead. You're not saying that are you?" Susan's voice started to rise.

Dean's eyes never left the floor. Mel knew how he was feeling and the accusing looks and statements weren't helping.

"We were in the walls and she attacked." He said.

"Oh my god!" Susan said bursting into tears.

"I couldn't get to him in time." He continued.

"Uncle Ted is dead?" Kate asked.

"I shouldn't have left him alone." Mel felt her heart breaking for him. He turned to look at Brian. "I'm very sorry." Brian just turned back to his wife as Dean left.

Sam saw the look in Mel's eyes when she turned to Brian.

"Mel…" Sam warned.

"Don't you Mel me! It's not Dean's fault yet these people are sending looks saying that it is!" She yelled. "This is why I can't stand civilians. They are always so quick to blame because they will never admit that maybe Dean would never have been able to get to him had he been standing right next to him!"

"Hey it isn't your brother that just died." Brian said.

"No but it is my boyfriend who is taking the fall for something that isn't his fault. Your hateful looks didn't help. So guess what? I'm going to go kill this thing and then we are leaving y'alls asses behind in dust." She shot back walking out quickly.

Sam just looked apologetically at the family before cracking open the diary again.

Mel walked over to Dean who was just standing outside looking out into space.

"Hey," Mel said patting his back.

"Hey," came Dean's reply.

"It wasn't your fault, Dean. If she attacked with you standing right there next to him you couldn't have done anything." She explained.

"How does that work?" Dean asked kicking the ground with his shoe.

"Because the walls are her world. She knows the way around better than anyone. They are her home. You were in her world." She turned his face to look at her. "It isn't your fault." She kissed him lightly. "Now the chick flick moment is done."

"Oh thank God," Dean said, "I was thinking I would have to suffer through tears too." He grunted when her elbow met his side.

"You should feel damn lucky I care so much, Winchester." She said cracking a smile.

"I do." He replied. "I know I'm lucky." He smiled in her direction. "Now what do you say we kill us a backwoods hillbilly bitch?"

Mel laughed at Ted's description of her. "Sounds like a plan to me."

They heard some talk about an Andy and then Danny was mentioned before they heard the door to the shed open and close and they saw Brian walk out and just stare at the house. They both walked over to him to see if everything was alright.

"Is Andy your son?" Dean asked.

"He was the oldest. He got himself killed in a car accident last year." Brian replied.

"I'm sorry." Dean said and Mel nodded along with him unable to speak.

"It nearly tore Suze and I apart. Probably still could, I imagine." He continued. "That's why we moved here: fresh air, fresh start. Not even my line. Marriage counselor. Of course she might be right. After all, what could possibly go wrong in the country?"

Dean looked at him. "I'm getting your son back if it's the last godforsaken thing I do." Mel, once again, nodded.

"Why do you care so much?" Brian asked.

Before Dean could answer Sam walked up beckoning both him and Mel away.

"Hey," She heard Brian call to her and turned around. "About the way I acted earlier, I'm sorry."

Mel smiled. "Don't worry about it." She then walked over to Sam and they went in the house.

Sam slammed a book down on a bunch of boxes.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"Rebecca's diary, I just finished reading it." Sam replied.

"And," Mel asked.

"That girl back there, I'm pretty sure she was Rebecca's daughter." Sam replied causing both Mel and Dean to stop.

"Rebecca had a kid?" Dean said surprised.

"That's all she talks about: being pregnant and being ashamed of being pregnant." Sam said.

"Jeez, rent Juno and get over it." Dean said. "Wait why kill herself after the baby?"

"Maybe because her dad called her a dirty little whore and said he would lock the baby up where nobody would see it." Sam said.

"Why would he say that?" Mel asked.

Sam just kinda looked at them and tilted his head.

Realization struck Dean across the face. "Oh, gross."

"Yeah." Sam said and Mel felt her stomach turn.

"So daddy was the baby daddy too?" Dean asked.

"Dude was a monster, Dean." Sam replied.

"Wow, story ripped from an Austrian headline." Dean retorted. "Humans, man."

"I agree." Mel said. "So she's been locked up in this house her whole life?"

"You saw her eyes," Sam said, "has she ever seen light? She's barely human."

"So she has been caged up like an animal and she busts out and ganks dear old dad… slash granddad?" Dean said.

"I guess." Sam replied.

"Well, can't say I blame her." Dean said catching both Mel and Sam off guard.

"I'm sure her life was Hell, Dean, but that doesn't mean she gets a free pass for a murder spree." Sam said.

"Like you know what hell's like." Dean retorted.

"Dean! That's not fair!" Mel said.

"Forget it." Dean said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "So where do we find her?"

"Kid's gotta eat right?" Dean asked. "We'll go to the kitchen and Mel you go check on the family."

Mel nodded knowing there was no use arguing. Going back to the shed, she got questioning looks from the family.

"What'd you find out?" Brian asked.

"We know who the girl is but you don't want that story. It'll send you to therapy for the rest of your lives." Mel said. "They think they know where Danny is."

"Where?" Brian said standing up.

Mel sighed knowing she couldn't him from going. "They are in the kitchen breaking into the dumbwaiter."

Brian all but ran out the door and the girls barricaded the door.

"So they found Danny?" Kate asked.

"They think they have but they won't know for sure until someone goes down under the house." Mel said.

"So what do we do?" Susan asked.

"We wait for them to bring Danny out so we can get rid of the girl." Mel said right before one of the boarded windows broke in. "Holy shit!" She shouted.

Susan and Kate screamed while Mel was trying to look for something to defend them with. Susan found a rake and Mel took it just in time for the girl to start trying to push through a loose board near the floor of the shed. She tried to keep the board up but it ended up falling and the girl was trying to get inside. Just when Mel was about to hit her across the head with the rake, something pulled the girl back outside and they heard her scream for a minute before going quiet.

When they heard a knock at the door they all screamed.

"Suze!" They heard and recognized it as Brian's voice. When they let him in he was covered in blood.

Mel immediately ran outside and when she saw Dean she threw her arms around him.

"Thank God you're ok!" She said. She quickly let go of him so he could go check on the family and she followed him to where Brian was standing. When she looked in the direction he was she saw the girl dead from multiple stab wounds. She put her hand on his shoulder and they all looked up to see the sun starting to rise.

"Well, we better get everything out of the basement if we want to get out of here by the time the cops come." Dean said heading into the house.

A couple hours later, they were all packed up and ready to go after Dean replaced the tires.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you guys don't like the police?" Brian asked.

"It's sort of a mutual appreciation thing, really." Sam replied.

"Well, thank you." Brian said shaking everyone's hand.

Not liking long goodbyes, Mel shook his hand, waved at Danny who smiled and waved back, and got into the car to wait for the brothers.

After they left they stopped for food, pulled over under a bridge and started chowing down.

Mel and Sam looked at Dean weird when he put his burger down as if he wasn't hungry.

"You ok?" Sam asked.

"You know I felt for those sons of bitches back there." Dean said. "Lifelong torture turns you into something like that."

"You were in Hell, Dean." Sam said and Mel nodded. "Maybe you did what you did there but you're not them. They were barely human."

"You're right." Dean said. "I wasn't like them. I was worse."

Mel blinked in surprise.

"They were animals, guys, defending territory. Me? I did it for the sheer pleasure." Dean finally admitted.

Mel stood up straight at that. What did he just say?

"What?" Both she and Sam said in unison.

"I enjoyed it, Sam…Mel." He said not being able to meet Mel's eyes. "They took me off the rack, I tortured souls, and I liked it. All those years, all that pain, finally getting to deal some out yourself? I didn't care who they put in front of me." At that he looked at Mel.

"No, you were turning around to tell Alistair no!" She protested.

"No I was turning around to make sure I was seeing things correctly." Dean said. "My head knew it was you and wanted to rip into you but my heart was winning the fight. I don't know if I would have gone through with it or not."

Mel put her hand over her mouth as the tears spilled over her cheeks in rivers as she back away from him.

"Because that pain I felt, it just slipped away. No matter how many people I save, I can't change that." Dean said. He looked at Mel with the most sorrow and regret she had ever seen come from him. "I can't fill this hole, not ever."

Sam just stood there staring at Dean after the confession and Mel couldn't move if she tried. She just stood rooted to the spot not knowing whether Dean would have really done that to her or not.


End file.
